


Exam Room 5

by Jumping_Girl_Juliet



Category: Hey! Say! JUMP
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fanfiction, Idols, Romantic Fluff, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-31 12:00:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 72,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10898940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jumping_Girl_Juliet/pseuds/Jumping_Girl_Juliet
Summary: Elliot, a fairly newly licensed veterinarian who works in an upscale clinic where she thoroughly enjoys her wonderful, if not exhausting, job–though most of the time the pages of her diary feel the same day after day now–that is until the fateful moment she entered Exam Room 5 to treat a patient she’d never seen before–and walked (ran) away wondering if her life would be the same again.





	1. Worth It

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this as a “OC=reader” fic but as I wrote the second chapter I realized that this character is a real person to me haha SO I am reposting it and updating it everywhere to be the story it will be, now morphing into something a little more substantial than the “short but sweet” 3-5 chapter fic I had planned to write! 
> 
> This is my first in a series of what I call “Visually Inspired Fiction”–which are works based off of images or videos. I do take requests! Check out that post here! The story will be cross posted on multiple platforms so you can read it where you enjoy that the most.

 

 See full sized images on my [Tumblr Post](https://jumping-girl-juliet.tumblr.com/post/160638587823)

 

 

* * *

 

 

The day had been absolutely _insane_ from the moment the doors opened that morning at the veterinary clinic where Elliot worked. She had just managed to sit down, finally, as it was the first time all day she'd had a moment to take a breath--glancing to the clock, then quickly to her watch to ensure she was actually seeing the numbers correctly.

The smile that spread across her face was genuine when she realized there was only fifteen minutes left until the clinic closed. Having only graduated and passed the national exam six months ago, it was safe to say she still hadn't really adjusted from all the studying and observing to the practical application and interactions that being licensed provided on a daily--often hourly basis.

She would be turning 24 in a few weeks...something to celebrate of course, and she was happy knowing that her family was busy with some kind of party plans--a _real_  party--something that hadn't even been considered for the last six years. There just was no time for that kind of leisure. It would be nice, some time to just unwind and enjoy life without working or studying, even if for only one day. 

Her eyes drifted down, glancing at her fingernails, admiring one of the early birthday gifts from her parents--a manicure, something she rarely ever did these days when the most attention was having clean hair. Though the certificate to have her nails done reminded her that she should take some time to take care of herself while she was taking care of everyone else. When she was a teenager she tended to be a very girly girl--makeup, manicures, fashion--but, college left her so tired and busy it was the last thing that entered her mind.

Since having her nails done she’d begun waking up a little earlier and spending a little more time on her appearance—doing her makeup, putting soft curls in the parts of her hair that weren’t pinned up…simple things that made her feel a little more like who she really was. While she wore a type of uniform to work, somewhat negating her fashion sense, though she often wore unique colors of scrubs and coats like pinks and purples—her favorite colors.

The hue she’d settled on for her nails was a deep purple, nearly black, though the purple showed up under sunlight—shimmering and brilliant. Darker than what most women would choose she supposed, but she’d always been rather non-conformist all things considered. She’d had a lot of practice as a child at being different than everyone else.

Her strawberry tinted hair, and hazel eyes were from her father, an American businessman who had come to Japan when he was twenty as a part of his company's expansion abroad and never returned 'home' again. He'd lived there for nearly five years when he met her mother, an elementary school teacher, during a time when he was overseeing the installation of software on the school's computers. Her older brother followed quickly after their marriage, then she had been gifted a younger sister as well.

At any rate, out of the three of the siblings, it seemed Elliot had been given the most genetic material from her father—even nearly too predictable as she had his name as her own. She’d never fully understood why her older brother didn’t receive the name instead of her, as it seemed to be a very masculine name—but her mother had long insisted that she’d always dreamed of a daughter with an ‘American name’.

Her siblings had their mother's dark hair, and her sun-kissed skin tone--and as such, it was often hard to tell that they weren't born of two Japanese parents at all. There was no doubt that Elliot’s ethnicity held something other than solely Japanese heritage as not only were her hair and eyes a dead giveaway--her skin was milky like frothy cream and no matter how much she had tried, there was just no way to tan--instead she'd burn—and now sported a row of peachy freckles across her nose and cheeks from trying one too many times.

Despite children being both fascinated and often cruel over differences through elementary school and middle school—she certainly wasn’t regretful of her appearance, since as she got older, it became more of an asset, especially her eyes which changed colors based on some unsolvable equation--some days they were golden, others green, sometimes a mix between them all--and the red tint of her hair sometimes made them look like they had fire in them.

Sighing dramatically, she spun in the chair to glance to the chart bin which was empty--there were no patients waiting in the clinic.  _YES!_  The sound of the puppies and kittens was soothing like a lullaby, making her eyes droop and close for a moment--the peace washing over her.

She’d been drifting in contentment, waiting for time to pass so she could leave when the bell to the front door rang out. She stiffened, clenching her eyes closed, trying to stop herself from running out the back door. They most definitely wouldn't be leaving on time now.

_Why do people wait until the last minute to bring in their animals? Ugh._

She loved her job, of course she does, who would devote the kind of time, energy, and overall loss in their quality of life for the years it took to become a vet if they didn't? Reality was, even being a vet now, her quality of life hadn't improved much as she was just as busy and consumed now as she’d ever been, but at least she was helping...most of the time that is.

Today had just been an  _exceptionally_  hard day for her...having seen an unprecedented number of patients, many of them routine, some follow ups from procedures and illnesses--but also she’d had two dogs projectile vomit on her legs, a cat had urinated on her jacket, she’d dealt with at least eight case of parasites, one in particular that made her stomach turn, and she was now sporting five long gashes down her arm from another cat who had  _really_  not appreciated the shot that would make her well. None of that was particularly out of the norm, since Elliot was unique in the way that she was more hands on than most vets, preferring to do most things herself versus making her techs handle all the grunt work.

The hard part happened about two hours ago when a family came in with their dog--a beautiful, lovely honey colored spaniel named Lottie--who had given birth to three puppies at home before she appeared to be in distress. Elliot put on a brave face, but was devastated when she lost both Lottie and the last puppy she'd been trying to deliver. There was nothing that could have been done for her, but it still hurt. It always did. It was part of the job, that's all, but Elliot carried the names of all those animals she'd lost moving forward, and it never got any easier. Lottie was permanently imprinted on her heart now.

She slowly rolled her head around, dropping her chin down to rest on her chest, taking a deep breath, she attempted to release the stress and muster the right attitude to handle her final patient of the day.

She heard the voice of her tech, Saya, talking to the patient in the room they'd just entered, the muffled voices soft and lulling mixed with the sounds of the other inpatient animals. She turned in the chair to look into the cage sitting next to her, having moved it up front by the pharmacy where she'd been sitting to keep a close eye on the patient. It was a small dog named Winty, who'd flared a fever this morning after a minor surgery she'd performed yesterday on her abdomen.

Elliot had been extremely worried about her, and had even come in during the night last night to check on her. That might be contributing to her readiness to leave work. Winty was sound asleep and resting, thankfully, so she reached over and picked up her chart, double checking that her temp had been recorded in the last hour and was relieved to find that she appeared to be recovering as planned. Her owner, an eight-year-old girl had to be forced to leave the clinic by her parents yesterday, nearly inconsolable, as her fear and worry was so strong. Elliot reached over and scribbled down the phone number from the file, intent on calling to let the family know how Winty was doing later that evening.

The door to the patient's room opened and closed quickly, the sound of a puppy whining from inside echoing down the hallway until the door snicked shut made her smile. Elliot stood up from the chair, stretching backwards as she watched Saya cross into the room to hand the file to her directly instead of putting it in the bin.

"Exam room 5! Prepare yourself," she whispered with a smile, "this one's a looker!"

Elliot laughed lightly, snatching the folder out of her hand, and walking toward the door, "I have an impenetrable heart, unless it's an Alaskan Klee Kai--I'm not interested!"

"We'll see!" Saya called out as she went to do the last round on the inpatient pets before the night tech came in to take over.

Standing outside the door to the exam room, Elliot couldn't stifle the smile that blossomed as she could hear the man in the room talking to the dog in a smooth, consoling voice trying to keep the dog calm. It was so precious. She absolutely loved owners who cared deeply for their animals, they were priceless. Taking a deep breath, she stood there listening for a moment, letting it lift her spirits, as this owner clearly adored his pet.

Opening the folder, she glanced down at the information in the file. It wasn't the first time this dog had been seen at the clinic, in fact, he appeared to have always been treated there since he was a puppy--though, he hadn't been in since Elliot had begun working there. Reading the notes that the tech had written--hip pain, favoring one side, loss of appetite, owner is very concerned--she glanced at the age of the dog and realized he was eleven years old. Frowning, the realization that she might need to give bad news to the owner today stung--it was something she really did not want to have to do after the day she'd had already.

She leaned forward to press her forehead against the cool door for a moment, breathing deeply to steel her nerves, then gathered herself and swung it open, trying her best to sound cheerful, beginning to introduce herself when she stopped in mid-sentence.  

Her eyes drifted across room to take in the pair sitting on the love seat positioned in the corner of the exam room--

_This is the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my entire life!_

_The puppy is pretty adorable, too._

Elliot admonished herself as she willed her body to move as it instead simply stood there--mouth gaping like a complete idiot for one beat too long. She cleared her throat and quickly introducing herself, “I’m Dr. Meadows, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she bowed slightly. He didn’t move, didn’t react, his expression was rather blank, and she wondered if he had even heard her, she twisted her hand on the folder softly, looking down when he cleared his throat, shaking his head lightly before speaking.

His voice was soft but confident, and Elliot instantly pictured an angel in her mind as he said his name, “Yamada Ryosuke, and this is Riku.”

She wanted to sigh, she had absolutely no idea whatsoever what he’d just said, but it was said beautifully. She felt the heat rise all the way to the tips of her ears, and to keep from embarrassing herself any further, she turned her back to them to gather some materials and gloves from the cabinet by the door, giving herself a moment to school her expression and try to calm down the flush that was washing across her skin. She had no idea what was wrong with her. Well, clearly the tech hadn't been lying about him being a 'looker'-- _he was beautiful_ —and normally, this wasn’t something Elliot would even pay any attention to, but here she was flustered like a girl in middle school whose crush just made eye contact with her. She was absolutely exasperated by her own response.

Saya could have at least told her it was the  _human_  not the dog.

Taking a deep breath, she spun back around, determined to be a professional, "So what's happening with...ah," she glanced back to the chart laying on the table, "Riku, today?"

Elliot pointedly avoided looking at the man while he spoke, though despite her best efforts her eyes landed on his hands. They were smooth, and strong, and equally as beautiful as the rest of him, the thoughts made Elliot bite her tongue sharply to draw her mind back to business. Moving around the exam table she approached them, slowly settling on her knees on the floor in front of Riku, reaching out to hold her hand in front of his snout, giving him the chance to familiarize himself with her scent and earn his trust.

Experience had taught her to never rush the beginning of a relationship with an animal who didn't know you. It was hard to avoid looking up at the man as he spoke about what had happened. Trying to still her mind and keep her thoughts organized, Elliot hummed and responded in the proper places despite the timbre of his voice threatening to make her forget everything.

_It's like silk wrapped in chocolate wrapped in silk._

Biting her tongue again, she reached forward to move her hand closer to Riku who had tipped his head forward and was sniffing it with his nose touching her skin.

The man had explained that he had arrived home from work to find his dog not moving properly, rather, the dog was favoring one side, was lethargic, and didn't want to eat anything. The concern in his voice made Elliot’s heart clench, already praying that she would not have to deliver the unthinkable news to him.

"When is the last time he ate?"

Elliot chanced a glance up at the man, unnerved by how close he actually was and how he looked directly at her when he was speaking, unlike most people she knew. He was so lovely she wanted to cry, like a work of art from one of the great masters, even this close there were no imperfections that she could see--rather, he was even more breathtaking. Honestly, she felt absolutely hideous next to this kind of beauty. Unknowingly, she had been staring at his mouth as he talked, his smooth pink lips looked like they would be as soft as a newborn puppy’s fur...

_Get a grip._

Tearing her eyes away from his mouth to look at his eyes--his exquisite eyes--the color unlike most brown eyes she'd seen, rather his gave her a warm feeling of happy memories of winter with her family—as they were like smooth, rich hot cocoa, shimmering with the light that danced as he swept his hair away from his brow, his thick, full eyelashes presenting the perfect frame. She bit her tongue harder to keep from sighing out loud.

_I'm losing my mind._

"It was last night, around six or seven," he glanced down at the dog, stroking down his back, giving her a moment to gather her wits as he continued, "I gave him a small meal this morning, but generally do not feed him until evening because of my schedule."

Nodding, Elliot reached forward slowly to pet Riku, smiling as he dipped his head so she could scratch behind his ears, "I'm just going to examine him, but you do not have to put him on the table. I don't want him to feel uneasy so I'll do it right here on the floor."

Elliot twisted to reach behind where she was sitting so she could drag out the specially designed cushion that was stored under the table counter, moving it so it was positioned to the side. She was so glad she'd convinced the clinic manager these were a good investment for animals with mobility issues--even if the other vets rarely used them because they didn't want to sit on the floor of all things. Elliot didn’t let the other vet’s attitudes slow her down--she cared the most about the animal's comfort, not her own. She was pleased when Riku began wagging his tail as she patted the cushion softly, “I’ll start with his legs, some simple tests to check for mobility and any signs of pain."

The man nodded, standing and then moving across from Elliot, squatting down to sit Riku on the cushion, and then surprisingly, he sat across from her on the floor himself, bending his legs and leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees and rest his chin in his hands.

Elliot clicked into vet mode instantly, and went through the exam carefully and thoroughly, explaining everything she was going to do before she did it so that there were no surprises--both the owner and dog were wonderful patients, and she was nearly done with the exam when the man laughed lightly drawing her attention away from Riku.

Glancing over at him, she noted his broad smile and pink tinged cheeks, a shy fluttering of his eyes which made his already perfect face even more fascinating, as he shook his head, "Sorry, it's nothing."

Shrugging Elliot went back to the exam, curious about his behavior but not willing to ask, when the music that had been playing softly over the speakers from the radio station that was piped into all the rooms slowly increased in volume. She tried to ignore it, but the music was getting louder and louder and all she could think was that someone in the back didn't realize that there were still patients in the building since it was past closing time.

She desperately tried to finish the exam, she really did, talking louder to make sure the man could hear over the music, making a sharp noise when the sound got even louder, "I'm sorry, can you excuse me for a moment?"

The man was laughing, clearly amused, despite Elliot’s complete and utter mortification. This was undoubtedly one of the most unprofessional things she'd experienced since starting work there, and she rushed out of the room, closing the door a little too hard on the way out, cringing, then called out Saya's name over the sound of the music which was even louder in the hallway.

Saya leaned her head out of one of the doors down the hallway, eyes landing on Elliot as she cried out over the music, "What in the world is happening with this music?"

"What?" she held her hand up to her ear, clearly indicating she couldn't hear what she was saying.

Elliot huffed, then called out louder this time, "Why is this music playing so loud!?" 

"You like the music?" she called back, smiling brightly, causing Elliot to grimace, when two of the other tech's heads popped out of different doors down the hallway making her feel like she was on the receiving end of a comedy act where no one bothered to share the script with her.

"What?"

"You like this music?" Saya called again, her brows raised in a way to say she wasn't leaving until Elliot responded one way or the other, the other techs laughing as they waited for an answer.

Elliot stomped her foot in frustration, not having had heard the song before this moment, even if she did actually like it, she pointed violently to the nearest speaker, practically screaming down the hallway, "The song is great, very catchy, I love it! But for the love of all things good and holy can you turn it down! I am with a patient here!"

"I know!" the techs all laughed hysterically at that. Though Saya sobered instantly when Elliot leveled her best 'I will cut you' glare at her. Saya stepped into the hallway and turned to walk to the other end, the other techs quickly ducking back into the rooms they were cleaning as she passed them to hopefully make sure the music got adjusted to a proper level.

Sure enough, moments later the music faded down to a soft melody and Elliot turned around, reentering the room to find the man sitting back on the love seat with his dog in his lap, still smiling brightly, his eyes twinkling. Despite his entire countenance appearing to be relaxed and soft, he exuded some kind of presence, of confidence, or assurance that commanded attention. It was inexplicable and undefinable and she felt even more bothered by the unprofessional way she'd been behaving.

"I am so sorry!" Elliot tilted her head down, casting her eyes to the ground in apology, "I don't know what they were thinking..."

"It's fine, really," he replied quickly, one of his eyebrows raised, and a hint of amusement coloring his words, "It  _was_  a catchy song, wasn't it?"

His expression was sweet somehow, and he was staring at Elliot with an emotion she couldn't quite place, which made her flush again. Shrugging, she nodded in agreement about his assessment of the song, leaning onto the table to write into the record to distract herself, "At any rate, I have good news," pausing, she looked at the owner's name so she could address him properly, "Yamada-san, your dog is going to be just fine!"

She glanced up to the man who was hugging his dog and seemed quite relieved, clearly his mind had been going in the same direction hers had when he arrived, "He is certainly an elder at this point, but he's quite healthy. His bones are strong, his muscles are still very durable, and he has good range of motion."

Walking over to him, she squatted down so she could be eye to eye with Riku, reaching out she extended one of his front legs to reach up under his arm, "This right here, these joints on all four of his legs are inflamed, which is very normal for an animal this age--it's similar to what humans experience as arthritis--but this side is worse than the other, which is why he was favoring the other side. Generally speaking..."

Before she could finish her thought Riku jerked his leg backward causing her to pitch forward, nearly falling into the man's lap, catching herself on his leg, before she rather ungracefully stood up, with his help as he had reached out to steady her with the hand that wasn't holding the dog.

"I'm so sorry," she rushed out the words, flustered, releasing his leg like her hand was on fire, his hand holding her forearm a little longer than necessary as his body shook with laughter. Elliot quickly pulled backward, freeing her arm, and moved over to the exam table to lean against it as the room felt like it was spinning, her entire arm tingling from his touch...

_God, was this room always this small!? I feel like I'm suffocating._

"What was I..." 

_I'm going to die. I'm definitely going to die..._

Words wouldn’t come, and it felt like her brain was shutting down when suddenly her internal monologue admonished her stupidity and then told her to ' _get your crap together!_ ' causing her to nod sharply as she took a deep breath, "Generally speaking, you can see flare ups for many reasons, sometimes physical, sometimes dietary...things like potatoes, eggplant, rice, wheat, peppers, and fatty meats can cause issues."

The words were too fast, but it couldn't be helped at this point, and she didn't miss the way his eyes shifted and a slight guilty look crossed his face--like most pet owners who adored their animals, it was clear that he often indulged his dog, "Of course, sometimes those treats are more important to the well-being of your pet than the issues they would cause, to make our animals happy-- _moderation_  is the key," Elliot winked out of habit when she said it, a method meant to tease patients while still conveying the necessary information, but this didn't feel like that and her tummy flipped upside down when he smiled back, his bright teeth sparkling from the fluorescent lighting in the room—he was breathtaking.

_Stop that!_

Blurting out the first thing that entered her mind, "What kind of floors do you have?"

He tilted his head, his expression quizzical, "Pardon?"

"I was wondering what kind of floors you have in your home," she gestured her hand wildly for him to answer quickly like that was going to make everything feel normal again.

"Hardwood flooring in all of the house," he seemed confused by the question and Elliot realized it did seem a rather forward question without an explanation all things considered.

"I thought maybe that was true," she stepped back and opened the drawer in front of her, pulling out a plastic bag, "Younger dogs don't have issues with smooth flooring, but as dogs age they tend to have a harder time with balance and weight distribution--which can cause them to slip--another cause of the kind of inflammation Riku is experiencing in those joints, as their legs hyper-extend when they slide outward trying to keep their balance." 

The man's eyes were wide and he seemed amazed by this thought, looking from Elliot to the dog and back again, "I had no idea."

"It's not something we think about to be honest, but it's a real problem for our elderly dogs," walking over to him, she handed him the bag she'd retrieved, "These are special socks for Riku, they are made for dogs who are struggling with this issue--as they are designed with grips on them to ensure they do not lose their balance or slide on the floor. My experience has been very positive with these, as I use them on my own dog, Sassy. The key is to take them off if he seems irritated by them."

The man nodded, taking in the information, "When you put them on, make sure you associate it with something positive, like a treat or a special playtime with his favorite toy. As long as he will wear them, keep them on him. I'll give you a few other pairs also, they're machine washable, and I'll be giving you some vitamins and such to give to him daily until he's feeling better."

The man looked up at Elliot, his face soft and warm, his eyes slightly crinkled at the edges with the gentle smile he had, adorable dimples forming on his cheeks, his voice smoothed with emotion and relief of what she'd told him, "I can't thank you enough, I was...just really..."

"I know," she smiled sweetly back at the man, finally finding common ground under her feet, since she understood his feelings completely, "I was concerned about that too. I'm really glad that your Riku is going home today with happy news!"

Elliot realized that her tone had given away too much about the state of her mind at this point, shaking her head when the man whispered, "I'm sorry, must have been a rough day."

"It has had its moments, but this was a very positive one," she turned to write down the info into Riku's file and then walked to gather up the supplements and other pairs of socks for him to take home.

"I'm glad Riku could make you smile then," the man kept speaking while Elliot gathered things, tucking them into a bag, "and I wanted to apologize, since we got here so late, I know you have had to work far past your normal closing time."

"Please," she absently answered over her shoulder, nudging a drawer shut with her hip, "It's what I do."

"I can understand, what I do is the reason I couldn't come earlier. Thank you for helping us."

She turned back around, walking to him so she could hand him the bag as he stood with Riku bundled up in his arms, "I'm happy to have helped, Yamada-san," she leaned down to look into Riku's eyes, ruffling the fur on top of his head, "and it was a pleasure to meet you, Riku!"

"The pleasure was all  _mine_ ," the man whispered, head tilted to the floor, as he moved toward the door, stopping and looking up at her, his eyes softened, and the words hesitate but strong at the same time, "I assure you."

Elliot stared unblinkingly at the spot the man had been standing moments before, having opened the door and stepped through it, glancing back at her as he turned to close it, saying “See you!” while he winked with a broad smile gracing his lovely face before he smirked, undoubtedly at her shock, and then pulled the door closed.

Having come to her senses Elliot tiptoed over to the door, turning the knob slowly so it wouldn't make noise as she opened it a crack to see the man at the reception desk taking care of payment. He was laughing and seemed very relaxed, enjoying his conversation with the clerk who was a chatty, flirty, bubbly type personality. He was petting the clinic cat absently, a beautiful orange tabby named Gracie, that roamed freely through the clinic who had come to visit him when he spoke again.

"What's the vet's name?"

Freezing, Elliot’s eyes widened as he asked the question, heart racing wildly as she considered why he would want to know that.

The clerk frowned for a moment before she responded, “Dr. Meadows.”

Elliot wasn’t sure what the clerk, Miki, was up to, but suddenly her sour expression softened when the man whispered the name “Meadows”, clearly a foreign surname, then cleared his throat, asking, "Is that her husband's name?"

_What?!_

Miki laughed like that was the funniest thing she'd ever heard in her life and Elliot felt a little resentful of the implication that she couldn't possibly be married. She just didn’t want to date or be in a relationship or be married. It wasn’t because she couldn’t be. Well, she really didn’t put that much thought into it really. She was either at the clinic or sleeping. There was not much else to her life at this point.

"She's not married to a  _man_ , since she's been married to her education for her first twelve years, followed by six more to become a vet," Miki’s voice was sweet, whatever made her frown before long gone, and Elliot knew she meant this in a manner of compliment, even if her words didn't really convey that, "so there's certainly been no time for relationships or anything as exhaustive as marriage."

The man hummed softly, and Elliot wanted to strangle Miki when she leaned forward, as if she were whispering but saying the words in a normal tone of voice, her eyes drifted past his shoulders to land on Elliot’s, a sly smile playing at her lips before she winked, her voice sing-song as she announced, "That means, to be clear, she's  _single_."

The man laughed softly at that, then he burst out laughing, shuffling his feet shyly when Miki had sat back down, raising one of her eyebrows before admitting in a way only she could, in a mix of innocence and sexiness, " _So am_   _I_ , for the record."

_That’s what the frown was about! Of course, she’s interested in him! I mean, why wouldn’t she be, though honestly, if he has the right chromosome that’s the beginning and end of her discerning tastes. I mean, really, good grief, could you be more desperate, Miki, why don't you...I mean ju..._

"What are you doing?" 

Elliot nearly jumped out of her skin, her hand jerking the door to slam it shut, a loud curse flying out of her mouth without thinking as she turned to lean against the door, laying a shaking hand on her chest trying to calm her racing heart, eyes wide as she stared at Saya who had entered the room from the back door without her noticing.

_Kill me now._

Elliot groaned softly when she heard the man laughing loudly from outside the room, clearly having heard the door slam, and undoubtedly piecing things together himself to realize what had happened, that was, of course, if the clerk didn't just forthright tell him.

Elliot was never, ever bringing her cookies anymore. 

_Ever._

"Nothing, my goodness, you scared me is all," fumbling for words, Elliot gestured to the mess from the exam on the table, "Clean that up."

She had barked the order in a very non-Elliot kind of tone, walking briskly across the room to the back door the tech had entered through, frowning as she burst into laughter, mumbling something about the song that had been playing before.

Absolutely done with this nonsense, done, completely done--Elliot quickly scribbled the notes for the night tech on all the in-house care pets, and then left as quickly and stealthily as possible, out the back door.

She spent the night bouncing between two emotions--sheer, unadulterated bliss at the chance she'd had to see a perfect man before she died--or alternately, the absolute full encompassing mortification of how much she'd, and by all rights her staff had embarrassed her today. The only redeeming value of the day was the phone call to talk to Winty's owner who was so excited to hear her puppy was healing well that she promised to color a picture for her in appreciation. Elliot had a side of her refrigerator especially for these precious works of art from children who brought their animals in to see her.

Finally falling into a restless sleep that night, her dreams were filled with beautifully expressive eyes of melted chocolate, full pink lips that spoke words of poets, a million-dollar smile, strong, soft hands, and well, just the perfect man--at least physically.

Elliot decided the next morning as she nursed her second cup of coffee and ate her muffin--the dream was completely worth all the insanity of yesterday.

_Completely worth it._

 

 

* * *

 

**Thank you for reading my work, this is actually the first time I've posted one of my HSJ fics--so please let me know what you think! If you have an image or video you'd like me to consider writing a fic for please feel free to contact me here or on any of my social media or writing accounts:**

[Tumblr](https://jumping-girl-juliet.tumblr.com/%20)

[Live Journal](http://jumping-juliet.livejournal.com/)

[Asian Fanfics](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1546223)

**I look forward to hearing from you!**


	2. Prince Charming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I originally posted this as a “OC=reader” fic but as I wrote the second chapter I realized that this character is a real person to me haha SO I am reposting it and updating it everywhere to be the story it will be, now morphing into something a little more substantial than the “short but sweet” 3-5 chapter fic I had planned to write! I'm really sorry for changing the perspective--the first chapter has been updated if you want to refresh the tone in your mind! Thanks for understanding!
> 
> Enjoy!

[ Full Sized Image Link](https://68.media.tumblr.com/f30685d536a4c08bbf444b51d7129b32/tumblr_oq2qkt4A491wp77hwo1_1280.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elliot didn’t have to report to the clinic until 11:30 the next morning, so she took her time getting ready, relaxing in the shower as the hot water and steam seemed to loosen all of tension her muscles had built up over the last month. She was excited to be able to go by her favorite bookstore as she walked her normal route to work, browsing the shop leisurely as she passed the time, sipping her vanilla iced coffee as she went. She was glad she didn’t have surgery today, as they never do surgeries on Fridays unless it is an emergency, otherwise the excessive amount of caffeine she was ingesting would for sure be an issue. She picked up two books, one about gardening, something she had a new interest in, the other a self-indulgent romance novel.  
  
She lived only five blocks from her clinic, the lovely little hidden niche where her home was located tucked away like an oasis in the midst of the larger cultural arts district. She passed her favorite stretch of sidewalk, crossing the road quickly to walk next to the wrought iron fences of the park that held lovely gardens. At least it once did—the park was privately owned and funded, and the man who had long maintained and clearly loved the property had apparently passed away. Until all of his affairs were settled, his money was tied up and wouldn’t be released so they could pay for upkeep on the park. The gates that were normally wide open had been chained shut, and the park looked sad and gloomy, a sharp contrast to the vibrant picture it once was, without children playing on the swings and couples strolling through the quiet paths.  
  
Elliot had been able to secure permission from the family to clean up and tend to it without pay, even having been trusted enough to be given a key to the gate, and despite trying to garner interest from her co-workers and neighbors—others simply weren’t into the idea of doing something for nothing—so each weekend for the last two months she would spend hours inside the park cleaning, pruning, and trying to keep the weeds from taking over. She had no idea what she was doing, truth be told, and was hoping the book she’d purchased might tell her the best way to save the plants which were withering under neglect. The walk to work would never be the same if she couldn’t see the park in all its glory as it rotated through each season. It made her sad to even think about it and had been considering putting together a fundraiser to try to save it.  
  
She arrived at work a few minutes later, entering in through the employee entrance to find Saya waiting for her as usual.  
  
“Good morning, Boss!”  
  
“Saya, how many times have I told you I am not your ‘boss’—I don’t write your paychecks,” Elliot laughed lightly as she hung up her jacket and stuffed her bag into her locker, stepping behind the screen to change into her scrubs.  
  
“I know, but I like it,” Saya protested, having learned the term from an American movie she’d watched, “I don’t use it in front of other people, after all.”  
  
Elliot stepped out, her pink scrubs making her skin look bright and shiny, as she shrugged on her white coat, grabbing her stethoscope and other necessary items tucking them here and there, and then clapping her hands together, “It’s fine, it’s fine—what’s the situation look like today? How’s Winty?”  
  
“Winty is awake and angry that we won’t let her eat,” Saya laughed, gesturing for her to walk ahead of her, “The sooner you check her the better, so we can let her have some food!”  
  
“I see,” Elliot nodded, making her way to Winty’s cage, “Anything else noteworthy?”  
  
“Not really, just a few routine patients this morning, and only two scheduled for this afternoon—so unless we run into an emergency it looks like a fairly quiet day.”  
  
“Damn it, Saya,” Elliot groaned, twisting her head to give her a leveled glare, “How many times have I told you to never say it’s a quiet day!?”  
  
“Oh, my God!” Saya threw her hands up in the air, “That’s just a stupid myth! I don’t understand why you believe in that nonsense!”  
  
“Shut it!” Elliot turned her attention to the puppy who was literally shaking the entire row of cages with her wiggling, “If something bad happens, it is your fault!”  
  
“How is our sweet Winty today?” Elliot cooed in a childlike voice, eliciting a long whine from the dog as she pawed at the door. She pressed the code to unlock the cage, reaching in to pick the puppy up and carrying her to the treatment room for the examination. Saya followed along behind her, carrying the puppy’s records.  
  
Elliot checked the puppy thoroughly and was happy to report that Saya could most certainly give her a meal, one fraction now, and to spread the rest out over the next five hours to not overload her system, and to ensure there weren’t going to be any issues. If everything went as expected, she would be able to go home this evening! Her owner would be ecstatic.  
  
A few hours had passed, having seen the routine patients—until there was a commotion up front, and several of the techs rushed when Miki called out for help. Elliot was in the middle of a follow up exam in one of the rooms and started to wrap up so she could go help, but relaxed when everything got quiet again.  
  
She’d just finished washing her hands when Saya walked into the room, eyes wide, her face frozen in an expression between shock and fear.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
“The next patient…” Saya’s eyes were unfocused, and then they moved slowly to connect to Elliot’s, “She’s gigantic.”  
  
Elliot had no idea what she might be talking about, but wasn’t too concerned—that was until she was nearing the exam room and it sounded like someone was rearranging the furniture within.  
  
She opened the door slowly and peeked in, to see what appeared to be a gigantic bear padding around the room, bumping into the furniture and knocking a stool over as she made another round. She slowly closed the door, turning to look at Saya who still appeared to be in a daze.  
  
She pulled the chart out of the bin, her eyes widening as she read that her new friend’s name was Kisha, and she was a two-year-old St. Bernard—who weighed 240 pounds, and stood nearly three feet tall.  
  
“You’re coming in with me,” she whispered as she grabbed Saya’s wrist and drug her into the room with her.  
  
The dog didn’t even respond to the presence of the new people to the room, completely at ease, rather she just continued to explore and examine everything she could, reaching spots in the room that no other dog normally could.  Elliot’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when Kisha stood up on her back legs, front paws on the counter edge as she explored the top of the cabinet beside her—her head reaching far above Elliot’s own.  
  
The exam was…different. People in Japan didn’t normally have larger animals because their homes wouldn’t afford them enough space for them—but these owners were from overseas and had recently moved to Japan and it wasn’t an option to leave their pet behind. Everything had gone pretty smoothly until it was time to give Kisha her booster shots.  
  
It was safe to say, Elliot was completely overwhelmed by Kisha, who weighed more than double her own weight and because Elliot was very small—Kisha’s head came up to her chest, nearly above her head when she stretched her neck up and out. Elliot had easily been overpowered as she attempted to wrestle the dog who thought they were playing a game—losing the round and ended up lying flat on her back, the huge dog’s paws beside her head as she slobbered and licked her all over, the owner trying to make the dog move, and Saya making screeching noises that just added to the chaos of the situation.  
  
“Just give her the shot, Saya!” Elliot screamed, reaching up to try to keep Kisha’s head away from her own as the amount of drool that was falling onto her face was like having a bucket of water thrown on her.  
  
Saya rushed to give the dog the shot, which caused zero reaction, and eventually they were able to get the dog to calm down. Elliot left, trudging into the treatment room, hair looking like she’d put her finger in a light socket, frizzy and wet with the dog’s slobber, the entire front of her clothing was sopping wet, and her overall appearance was completely disheveled.  
  
“ _Don’t_ say _anything_ ,” she hissed as she passed the techs who were trying to muffle their laughs, “Next time you’re all going in with me—and we’ll be doing the exam in the exercise room.”  
  
They all burst out laughing, Miki was watching from the door laughing hysterically, when Elliot looked at her, “Write that down, damn it—put it in her record in bright red, highlighted and big enough to see. She can’t be seen in a normal room.”  
  
Miki nodded her head as she covered her mouth trying to stop laughing. Elliot narrowed her eyes at the lot of them, barking out, “I’m taking a shower!”  
  
Elliot washed quickly, put on a clean pair of scrubs and jacket, feeling fresh and renewed. Thankfully, the rest of the day was blessedly quiet, no emergencies or sudden influx of patients happened—the techs had cleaned everything they could find and the entire group of them were sitting around one of the treatment tables playing some card game. Elliot was sitting at her desk, leaning back in her chair, feet up on the desk reading the book she’d bought earlier that day hoping to get some help for what to do during her trip to the garden the next day.  
  
She glanced up at the painting above her desk when she heard the bell ring indicating someone had walked in the front door, straining to see if she could hear if it was an emergency or not. When the emergency light didn’t come on after a minute or so she felt safe looking back to her book, knowing it would take a few minutes until she would need to see the patient.  
  
“Dr. Meadows?”  
  
Elliot turned to look to the entry of the room where Miki had her head poked in, “There’s a courier here who says you have to sign for a package—he won’t accept my signature and said he needed to see your ID.”  
  
“Okay,” Elliot drew out the word in confusion, laying the book on the desk, then standing to go get her id from the locker, “Weird….”  
  
She headed up front after she grabbed her ID, stepping out into the empty waiting room to find what appeared to be a younger boy, maybe sixteen if she was guessing right, dressed in rather nice clothing, who was shuffling his feet in a nervous way, and Elliot was rather confused about how a boy this age was working for the kind of courier service that would require such stringent signature rules.  
  
“I’m Dr. Meadows,” she held out her ID to the young man who quietly thanked her, walking over to the counter to lay the ID down on the surface. Elliot was confused as to what he was doing when it looked like he was huddling over top of it for a moment, but then he turned around, holding out a clipboard, with the ID on top of it.  
  
“I just need you to sign right here,” he pointed to the spot on the form, holding a pen out in his other hand. Elliot took the clipboard and pen, signing the form quickly, then handed it back to him.  
  
He produced an envelope from the messenger bag he had on his hip, handing it to her, and then thanked her and was instantly out of the door without another word.  
  
Elliot watched him go, walking closer to the exit so she could see more clearly, as he stepped out to the curb and was picked up by someone in a black sports car.  
  
_Weird._  
  
She moved to return to the back to find Miki practically standing on top of her, as she almost knocked her down when she turned, “Miki!” she screeched, “What are you doing?”  
  
“Being nosy!”  
  
Elliot rolled her eyes, stepping around the woman so she could go to the back, swinging the door open and knowing she was being followed when the door didn’t close immediately, “Don’t you have a job, Miki?”  
  
“Yes, but no one is here, and I just want to know what was so important someone like that had to deliver it.”  
  
“Deliver what?” Saya asked, laying her cards on the table so the others couldn’t see it.  
  
“Nothing!”  
  
“That envelope!”  
  
Saya’s eyebrows shot up, looking to the envelope in Elliot’s hand, pointing at it, “You mean that envelope is nothing?”  
  
“It’s nothing to any of you,” Elliot murmured, moving quickly from the room to go into the bathroom—as there was no way she was opening an unknown envelope in front of a bunch of people.  
  
She quickly ripped the envelope, reaching into it to retrieve the contents—there was a letter and a smaller envelope in there, so she set it all down, opening the letter that was hand written.  
  
“Dr. Meadows—  
Thank you so much for taking good care of Riku yesterday! To show my appreciation I wanted to send this small token to you! I hope you enjoy yourself!  
Sincerely,  
Yamada Ryosuke”  
  
Elliot stared at the signature for a moment, confused, and then felt a slow warmth settling over her as she realized this was from _him_.  
  
She carefully folded the letter, picking up the smaller enve

lope, bending back the flap and pulling out what looked like a concert ticket.  
  
She studied it, not knowing the group, or…well, why in the world was he sending her something so random? A concert ticket to a group she didn’t even know? She checked the contents again, and found nothing else, just the letter and the ticket.  
  
Well, it was a nice gesture, at least, and sometimes her patients _did_ give her gifts, but this felt rather extravagant given that all she’d really done was tell him his dog wasn’t dying. She did that most days, actually.  
  
She picked up the items, and went back to her desk, everyone stopped moving when she walked in, Miki still standing in the same spot waiting, and Elliot had to roll her eyes at all of them, “Is your life so boring that my receiving a mysterious mail literally stops your entire day?”  
  
A chorus of yes and nods followed and she had to laugh at them, when Miki couldn’t wait any longer, “Well, what was it!?”  
  
“A concert ticket,” Elliot mumbled, holding it up so they could see it, “to a group I don’t know, at Yokohama Arena…ah,” she tilted the ticket so she could read the group’s name, “it says ‘Hey! Say! Jump”.”  
  
Mass chaos broke out at the table with the techs, Saya pitching forward, spewing the soda she’d been drinking all over the table, while the other techs scrambled to get out of the way. Saya’s voice was more of a screech than anything, “Holy crap, Boss, that’s the group that th—“  
  
Before she could finish the sentence, Mao, their nineteen-year-old tech apprentice, had slapped her hands over Saya’s mouth, words flowing out quickly while the others shifted and turned away, “What she was going to say is that’s the group who’s super famous right now, they have a lot of number one hits and she thinks you’d _really_ enjoy seeing them in concert!”  
  
Elliot’s eyebrows could not possibly go any higher as she watched Saya’s head nod, her mouth and part of her nose still covered with Mao’s hands. Mao laughed nervously, “We’ve discussed this at length.”  
  
Saya mumbled under the hands and then spoke clearly when Mao released her, “We did, sorry, that’s what we did, exactly what we did.”  
  
Elliot shook her head, not even going to try to understand what was going on with all of them, it must be a generational thing or something because they were all absolutely crazy, “That’s great, you can have the ticket.”  
  
“What!?” Saya’s voice was so loud all the animals that had been making noises went instantly silent.  
  
Elliot looked at her confusedly, thinking perhaps she was a fan, “I mean, I’m not going to use it, I’ve never even heard of this group—so it seems wrong to let it go to waste.”  
  
“You’re not goin—“  
  
“I’ll take it!” Miki cried out, rushing over to snatch the ticket from Elliot’s hand.  
  
“You most certainly will not!” Mao stomped over to grab the ticket from Miki’s hand which resulted in the two of them wrestling for it.  
  
“You give that ticket back to Elliot!”  
  
“No! It’s not my fault she lives under a rock!”  
  
“Shut up! You don’t know anything!”  
  
“I’m going! She doesn’t even know who they are!”  
  
The two of them continued to battle over the ticket and Elliot was torn between the hope that Mao could actually teach Miki some manners and the fact that Miki could potentially shred Mao to bits and pieces.  
  
“Oy!” Elliot’s voice slipped into her no-nonsense mode and the girls froze, “Give it to me.”  
  
Miki looked like she might take off running out of the room, clutching the ticket like it held the secrets to the universe, but Mao turned her head to look at her, seething, as the words passed through her gritted teeth, “She said to give it to her, Miki!”  
  
She said her name like a curse and Elliot couldn’t even being to guess why they were all so uptight over a concert ticket, apparently, this group was really popular, even among her own staff.  
  
Miki’s hand shook as she held the ticket out, and Elliot took it from her, glancing to the others who were all watching with rapt attention, “ _No one_ is using the ticket.”  
  
She ignored the flaring tempers who were vehemently protesting, turning and walking from the room, intent on putting the ticket in her locker and maybe sneaking it to Saya or Mao later without the others knowing. There’s no way she could let the man’s gift go to waste like that.  
  
_That would be like saying the gift had no value and that I didn’t appreciate it—the worst kind of insult. That won’t do, not at all._  
  
She’d just closed her locker and turned, jumping when Saya was standing behind her, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”  
  
Elliot waved her hand, dismissing it completely, “You know, I’ll let you take the ticket and go so th—“  
  
“Stop,” Saya whispered, lifting her finger to her lip to do the ‘shh’ sign, “Boss, you should go—you never do anything fun, like…ever. You work and you sleep. I am not even including eating in this sentence because you barely take the time to do that. You should go—it would be fun, a nice evening to just experience something different.”  
  
Elliot considered what Saya was saying, as despite the four-year age difference between them, she considered Saya a dear friend—even if she was sometimes a little too whimsical and flighty for her tastes.  
  
“I don’t know, Saya,” Elliot hedged, “The concert’s tonight, I mean, I work until five and it starts at seven and it’s at the arena, I don’t even think I could get there on time, but you could go and ma—“  
  
“No,” Saya stated in what might have been the firmest tone of voice Elliot had ever heard her use, “If you don’t use it—then no one will.”  
  
Elliot was fully aware she wasn’t playing fair—because she knew that Saya understood her feelings about not showing proper appreciation for gifts.  
  
“I haven’t ever even been to a concert, Saya!”  
  
“Well, you’re turning 24 years old in a week, it’s about time you start being a normal human being, isn’t it?”  
  
“Shut up! I’m normal!”  
  
“Ah, sure, sure you are, Boss.”  
  
“I kinda hate you.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
The silence stretched out between them, neither willing to back down, when they heard the bell that someone had walked in and neither of them figured it would be another currier.  
  
“Go do your work,” Elliot laughed lightly, pushing the other woman backwards.  
  
“Only if you tell me you will go,” Saya shot back, setting her feet further apart so that if she was pushed again she wouldn’t be moved.  
  
A series of noises were emitted from Elliot as she protested being railroaded into going to this concert for a band she didn’t even know, just to make someone who wouldn’t even know if she went or not happy. It was ridiculous.  
  
Though, admittedly, somewhere in the back of Elliot’s mind a seed had begun to grow, a picture in her mind that maybe _he_ had a ticket too…and maybe he would be there waiting for her to show up…and they’d enjoy the concert together. Maybe they’d go to that coffee shop by the venue after the show and get to know each other better. Maybe he was interested in her.  
  
She wasn’t really prone to flights of fancy, not normally, but she let her imagination soar if only for a moment.  
  
“You have nothing to lose.”  
  
Elliot’s face flushed as she felt like Saya had somehow read her mind, she nodded, “Fine, I’ll go.”  
  
“What are you going to wear?”  
  
Elliot blinked rapidly, not understanding the question’s purpose, “The clothes I wore to work today?”  
  
“Is that…” Saya groaned, “No, just no…you’re not wearing your ‘please ignore me, I am a matronly spinster’ clothes.”  
  
Elliot was flustered, and slightly insulted, really, because she wore comfortable clothes, so what!  
  
“I’ve seen your college pictures, you dressed up, or you at least DRESSED sometimes, not in sweats and loose sweaters—you need to wear something nice.”  
  
“I don’t have time for this,” Elliot huffed, walking around Saya to go see if there really was a patient in the clinic.  
  
Mao was standing in the doorway, for how long she had no idea, but she was smiling, and said, “I’ll take care of it.”  
  
Whatever that might mean, Elliot had no idea, and pointed to the light on the wall that indicated there was a patient in room 1.  
  
Saya nodded at Mao and then went to take care of the patient, while Elliot threw herself down in her chair wondering what in the world she was getting herself into—in fact, if she was right and this was a date—did she really even _want_ that?  
  
The afternoon passed quickly after that and it was nearly five when Elliot stepped back into the central treatment area to find Mao and Saya giggling together.  
  
“What are you two…”  
  
Elliot stopped when the two girls parted, allowing an outfit that was displayed on a chair to become visible. There was an adorable grey skirt, pleated, and fluffy looking with a ripple around the edges that looked like it would flare a bit. The shirt was a white blouse with ruffles around the neck that extended down the middle and then continued along the bottom edge. There was an adorable grey and pink vest that had tiny ribbons of iridescent colors woven through it.  
  
Mao moved the skirt edge back a bit to reveal a set of socks that matched the pattern in the vest and the cutest pair of pink patent leather shoes with bows on them she’d ever laid eyes on. She wanted to squeal over how adorable the outfit was and wondered which of the girls it belonged to.  
  
“That’s such a cute outfit! Who’s wearing this?”  
  
“You are,” Saya spoke proudly, “We all pooled our money together and got it for you.”  
  
Elliot was speechless, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to gather her thoughts, shaking her head as she took in the extravagance of the gesture.  
  
“You can’t say no,” Miki spoke from behind her, “Even _I_ gave money—and I’ll think you are an ungrateful bitch for the rest of your life if you don’t just shut up and wear it.”  
  
Elliot had to laugh, because despite how abrasive Miki was with them, she was perfect as the clerk at the clinic, so friendly and kind—a little like Jekyll and Hyde though—because she was generally caustic and mostly rude to the staff, but they all knew she still cared about them, in her own way.  
  
“But really, though,” Mao said, nodding her head in agreement with Miki for once.  
  
“Why are you all doing this?” Elliot asked, stepping forward to run her hand down the blouse and realizing it was soft like satin.  
  
“You’re a good one,” Miki called out as she headed back to work, “That’s all! You’ve got ten minutes to get dressed and then you’ll need to leave if you are going to get there on time!”  
  
Elliot had taken the clothes, her mind whirling with how she was going to somehow find a way to treat all of them to something outlandishly special in return. She dressed quickly, her own insecurities flaring as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was so short, and she didn’t have the kind of legs most short girls had, her body was compact, and she grew up playing sports, so her legs were strong, and heavier than most girls her size. There was a sliver of skin between the top of the socks that went over her knees and the edge of the skirt that flared and poofed around the edges. It was a really cute outfit, and the way it fit, it at least made her legs look longer than they really were.  
  
Still, her nerves had the best of her, and she considered sneaking out the back door and going to hide at home until it was past time so they couldn’t make her go. She knew that would insult all of them after they’d went through so much trouble, so she resolved to follow through, holding her breath when she stepped into the room where the others were.  
  
“Holy crap!” Saya laughed lightly, “You really are a woman!”  
  
Elliot laughed, embarrassed, and then held her arms out, “Everything fits perfectly…I don’t know how you guys di—“  
  
“I’m responsible for all of your laundry here, remember?”  
  
“Of course,” Elliot smiled at Mao understanding then, as she was indeed responsible for taking care of her scrubs and such when they needed to be laundered.  
  
Saya had walked over pulling out the pins from Elliot’s hair from where she’d hastily put it up after the shower, the soft curls falling around her shoulders, placing a cute little gem encrusted butterfly clip in it before declaring, “You’re going to be the most beautiful girl at the ball!”  
  
They handed her the bag they’d tucked her wallet and necessities into, and then shoved her toward the front.  
  
“Wait, I need to go to get—”  
  
“Nope!” Miki said, rather tartly, “There’s a car here for you.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“That _guy_ sent a car to pick you up.”  
  
Elliot stared blankly and then she glanced around trying to figure out why no one else saw how weird this was, “I mean…guys, c’mon, doesn’t this sound like the plot to a story about a serial killer or something?”  
  
Everyone looked at her then, “I mean…a mysterious guy, a ticket to a concert, a car showing up for me?”  
  
“The Yamada family has been coming here for over twenty years,” Miki grumbled, “I may be wishing it were me, but I can’t let you think there’s something nefarious going on here—there’s _nothing_ to fear.”  
  
It all still felt too strange, and there was a part of Elliot who still wanted to take off running out the back door again, but the others were pushing her forward and in a flurry of arms and legs and screeches she was planted inside a ‘car’ that was actually a limousine which was entirely too extravagant for telling some guy his dog wasn’t going to die.  
  
_I mean, really though, his dog is really going to die eventually. I mean it’s not like I can stop that._  
  
The car shifted forward and they were moving, but it didn’t even feel like it since the drive was so smooth. The window to the front lowered down a little and the voice of the driver spoke to her, “There is a meal there on the table for you, Dr. Meadows. Yamada-san has asked that I ensure all of your needs are met.”  
  
“Ah…thank you….uhh,” she fumbled, not knowing the man’s name.  
  
“Aiko,” he offered, understanding the situation.  
  
“Yes, thank you very much Aiko-san, but you’ve done more than enough.”  
  
He didn’t respond, just closed the window. She glanced around the space, it was lovely, and then her eyes landed on the table he had mentioned. There was a dish with a plate cover on it like she’d see in a high-end hotel, and a glass of something sitting next to it. She shifted closer to it, picking the glass up and sniffing it.  
  
The smell tickled her nose and made her breath catch as her mouth watered from the tantalizing smell. She reached over to pick up the bottle that she’d not noticed behind it, reading the label and more than a little mortified when she realized she was holding a bottle of champagne that was probably more expensive than two, maybe three weeks of her pay. She carefully put the bottle down, terrified she was going to drop it, or spill it, or maybe it would just spontaneously explode, she had no idea, but she simply didn't understand what kind of person just gives another person a bottle of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Rose from France.  
  
_Seriously, who would do that. Who IS this guy!?_  
  
She noticed there was a slip of paper under the dish, carefully pulling it out and opening it to read another handwritten letter.  
  
“Dr. Meadows,  
I am so glad you decided to accept my token to you. Please, enjoy the meal and champagne—just a small gesture to say how much I appreciate you being such an exceptional vet.  
Sincerely,  
Yamada Ryosuke”  
  
She tucked the letter in her bag, having no idea what to think about all of this, since she really hadn’t done anything extraordinary at all with Yamada-san’s dog. It didn’t really matter if she understood it or not—she was at least committed to it at this point. She slowly lifted the lid on the dish, the smells inside filling the space causing her hum in appreciation as it revealed one of her favorite dishes, eggplant parmesan.  
  
She moaned when she took a bite and the burst of flavor filling her mouth--it  was absolutely delicious and she would have to find out where it was from so she could go to the restaurant again, maybe take her parents! She ate more than she thought she would, given the dance party the butterflies in her tummy were having, as the taste was wonderful—and when she’d finally taken a sip of the champagne she’d been delighted—rich with the taste of strawberries and other subtler fruity flavors, hinting at deeper smoky notes—the soft pink liquid was exquisite.  
  
She had no idea how much time had passed, and was flustered when she realized she didn’t have her watch on so couldn’t check. She glanced around the space to see if there was a clock, not finding one, when her eyes landed on a note propped against a rather large box in the corner that had her name on it she had somehow not noticed in her flustered state.  
  
“What in the world…”  
  
She scooted down the seat until she got to it, lifting the note and reading it.  
  
“Dr. Meadows,  
A few items I thought might find help you enjoy your experience tonight a little more!  
Yamada Ryosuke”  
  
She couldn’t imagine what was in the box, but quickly folded the letter and tucked it in her bag, then lifted the lid to find an assortment of items inside nestled in pink tissue paper. There were earplugs, pink ones, the soft kind that melted to your ear—which was something she hadn’t really thought of, but now that she was looking at them she was exceptionally grateful. There was a tiny bottle of water, and a hand towel that had an intricate design and the band’s name and tour logo on it.  
  
She pulled out a plastic thing that was in the shape of a mask from a ball or something—gasping when she hit the button and it lit up, slowly changing colors, casting hues of rainbows across the interior of the limo. She set it aside, examining the other trinkets that looked like they were fan goods for the show, and a bag that everything could be carried in that had the same design as the towel on it.  
  
She tucked all the items into the bag, lifting the tissue paper out and carefully folding it and pushing it down into the bag as well. She’d put that in her memory book for certain.  
  
She felt the car slow down, and turned around in the seat to see where they were, surprised to find they were approaching the venue. There were so many people everywhere she was amazed, and the driver seemed to be very cautious driving near the crowds. They bypassed the front of the building, and Elliot spun around, trying to see where they were going despite only being able to see the completely black window to the front.  
  
_Maybe there’s another entrance._  
  
She wondered at where another public entrance could be, but had no idea since she’d never been to an event at the dome before. The limo rolled to a stop, so she scooched down the seat toward the door, blinking at the bright light streaming in from the opening where the driver was standing, waiting for her to get out. She felt badly leaving her dish in there but knew there was nothing she could do. She stepped out onto the sidewalk, glancing around and realizing this must be a private entrance since there were no other people around. It was very curious given how many people were at the front of the venue.  
  
The sun was setting over the building, and the driver, who Elliot now realized was a rather young man, dressed in a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt, gestured for her to go toward the doors. She started forward, still trying to adjust her eyes to the light after being in the darkness of the limo for so long—when her eyes were drawn to motion above where she was walking. There was a platform above the row of doors where some people were standing, alarmingly high up and she felt a panic rise at being able to be that high, and even more so she wondered about wanting to be that high.  
  
_People are crazy._  
  
As she got closer she could tell it was a group of boys, all of them in constant motion and horse playing around, which part of her found amusing and the other part alarming as she didn’t see a rail or anything running along the edge. She startled, stopping in place, when there was a shuffling, not being able to look away as there seemed to be some kind of struggle and one of the boys was drug backward, disappearing behind the others.

She knew she read far too much when she wondered if she’d just witnessed a murder like in ‘Rear Window’.  
  
_Yup—way too many romanticized mystery novels for you, Meadows._  
  
She laughed lightly, shaking her head as she focused on the door ahead of her and resumed her walk to it. Concluding if there had been a murder, there was enough security in the area to certainly handle it without her help. Well, then again, if she read about it in the newspaper tomorrow she was probably going to be really upset with herself.  
  
She didn’t get to think any further on it, as they’d reached the doors and a security officer opened it quickly, gesturing for her to enter. She stepped into the building, blinking while she tried to let her eyes adjust as it seemed really dark in there compared to outside, “I’m sorry, I’ll get my ticket out of my bag for you,” she reached down, blindly trying to find the flap to her bag.  
  
“It’s quite alright, Dr. Meadows, we have been expecting you,” Elliot turned toward the voice, surprise marking her features, as a gentleman walked up and asked her to follow him.  
  
She was thoroughly confused, and also, it felt like there was a tribe of pygmy marmosets scampering around in her tummy, amping up the fluttering feeling from before, as she thought that maybe when she got to her seat that _he_ was going to be there. She shouldn’t be so excited, she admonished herself, because she really didn’t have time for this right now, she was only just getting started in her career and certainly couldn’t fathom something as difficult as a relationship at this point when her entire goal was to become the director of a zoo. Of course, that would require her securing a position at a zoo as a vet first, something that seemed light years away.  
  
They stepped through a doorway that led to the auditorium from the backside, and she could hear the humming of what must be thousands of people talking at once. As they walked down the pathway her eyes became wider and wider taking in the sheer number of people who were there. Clearing the side of the stage she was breathless, as there were an unbelievable number of fans, and the dome was so much larger than she could have imagined, filled to capacity with so many people.  
  
They hadn’t walked very far when the man stopped, gesturing to an area beside him. She glanced to the place he was showing her, a small pit area that seemed to only have about fifteen seats in it almost touching the stage. It was set apart from the rest of the seating by a short wall, and she twisted around to look at the venue, realizing from where she was standing she’d have one of the best seats in the entire dome.  
  
_Who IS this guy!?_  
  
“This is your seat, and Aiko-san will be staying with you throughout the evening in case you need anything at all,” the man ushered her to a seat on the front row on the very end, and Aiko-san sat down in the seat behind her.  
  
The man bowed and then left, and sat slowly sat down, her mind whirling as she tried to figure out what to do now. She turned in her seat to look at Aiko-san, “Do you happen to know the time, please?”  
  
He nodded, looking at his watch, “It is nearly 7:00—the show will be starting soon.” He smiled, a weird kind of smile she thought, like…something was in his mind that he was looking forward to, and she shrugged, turning back around, suspecting that maybe he was a big fan of whoever these people were.  
  
“How many people are here?” she asked, standing up for a moment to try to see the other side of the stage.  
  
“Over 50,000,” Aiko-san responded, smiling when her mouth dropped open in amazement.  
  
A few more people were shown to the box she was sitting in, but no one sat in the seat next to her. She didn’t really look at any of them, as she was feeling more and more uncertain of what she was doing there, as the minutes passed and no one had filled that seat, least of all _him_.  
  
She was turned to the side looking away from the stage, watching the crowd and amazed by the number of people there when she felt someone sit in the seat beside her. She held her breath, terrified and exhilarated at the same time at the possibility that _he_ was sitting next to her. She turned as slowly and as naturally as she could, glancing down and realizing immediately that this was not him, unless he was into cross-dressing—which wasn’t a problem, but she wasn’t sure that four inch heels were his kind of thing—especially not hot pink ones.  
  
The woman smiled at her, “Name’s Nanami, here for Hikka—how ‘bout you?”  
  
Elliot’s mouth opened and closed a few times, not sure what she should say, “Ah, it’s…my first time seeing them.”  
  
The woman’s eyes narrowed a bit at that, looking more critically at Elliot and humming softly, “How did you get these kinds of seats then?”  
  
_How did I get these kinds of seats?_  
  
“They were a gift from a friend,” she stated as simply as she could, and the woman nodded, then turned to speak to someone behind them. All of the people seemed to know each other, and she was feeling a little more out of place by the second. Withdrawing into her own mind, she couldn’t help but sigh softly, her heart dropping as she realized this whole event, the ticket, the limo, all the notes, they really were nothing more than a kind patron who sincerely wanted to thank her for caring about his pet as much as he did.  
  
_That’s good, that’s just fine, I wasn’t in any position to be dating any way—that can come later._  
  
The lights blinked a few times and the crowd’s sound raised into a dull roar in anticipation, the people near her included as the woman beside her jumped up, screaming and yelling just like everyone else…remembering, she reached into the bag she’d been given to pluck out the earplugs, realizing now that she would be very glad to have them given the deafening roar from the fans.  
  
She noticed that all the fans were holding the mask, so she pulled it out of the bag too, tucking the rest under her seat.  
  
The lights blinked rapidly again, the fans going crazy, and then the entire arena went black with only the safety lights on—the sound of an old film filling the room as the fans screamed. They would be quiet as the film played, showing the members of the band, their names coming up on the screen, and then they’d scream for their favorite member. The woman next to her was especially animated when the member she was there for showed up on the screen.  
  
Elliot couldn’t help but think it was all very cute, and found herself becoming more and more excited despite the evening not being _exactly_ what she’d imagined. The film was showing a member in a car, he was preparing to pull out of the driveway…  
  
Elliot jumped when Aiko-san tapped her shoulder, having been in her own world again, “Dr. Meadows, I was asked to give this to you.”  
  
She turned, squinting her eyes in the limited light to see what he was holding out to her, she reached forward and he put an uchiwa into her hand. She looked down at it, trying to make it out but wasn’t able to with the light flashing the way it was. Suddenly the entire dome was chaos and she had no idea what was happening, having missed the end of the film, then there were these two children and what seemed like music box sounds playing and a voice was speaking in English, which she understood since she was bilingual thanks to her father insisting she know his native language as well.  
  
“Welcome to the most spectacular show in all the land. You will never see anything that is more extravagantly grand. So, do sit back. But be prepared to be taken to a world you’ve never seen before. ‘Cuz tonight, is a night, to remember.”  
  
And then, it was like the entire room had all the air sucked out of it and held for a moment before it was suddenly expelled in the collective fan’s screams—the room erupting in excitement as music began to play, and lights began flashing, and then the white curtain on the stage dropped and the nine members were standing there. Even not knowing the band they took Elliot’s breath away as they presented such a stunningly beautiful picture. They began dancing and singing, and all she could look at was how elegantly gorgeous their clothes were because, seriously, they looked like a bunch of princes. Each of them wearing the same kind of outfit, but also each unique—it was intriguing—and each of their masks had a different color feather on it, no doubt so the fans could spot their favorite member.  
  
She was fascinated when the one with the red feather began singing the first part of the song, because his voice was exquisite. It wasn’t like typical idol voices, it was smooth and his range was ridiculous. Then another sang, the one with the pink feather, the blue, the green, and then the one with the orange feather—each of their voices distinctive and unique, yet wonderful, each and every one of them.  
  
The music stopped and the stage went dark apart from the spotlights that landed on two of them who pulled their masks off in a grand gesture to the timing of the music, followed by the fans apparently losing their minds. It was easy to get swept up in the excitement, and Elliot found herself standing up with the others, anxious to see the rest of the show now that she realized it was going to be a very entertaining performance.  
  
Two by two the members revealed their faces from under their masks—each of them garnering a thrilling response from the crowd, until there was only the one in the middle left to take off his mask, the one with the red feather. Elliot had been watching the screen as it was an amazing way to see the members up close, despite being near enough to see them with her own eyes relatively well.  
  
They seemed to draw out the reveal of the last member a moment longer than the others allowing the crowd to work themselves up into a complete frenzy so that when he did remove his mask and the camera zoomed in on his face the volume reached a near deafening pitch.  
  
Elliot felt her knees wobble, and swayed as the earth moved under her feet as she stared at the screen that zoomed in on the face of the middle member, his eyes a piercing blue color, his neck sporting a tattoo of some sort, and what could only be termed a sassy grin on his face as they began singing the chorus of the song.  
  
Her entire body was on fire, she was positive of it, she was going to burn the entire dome down as the heat spread from her toes up to the tips of her ears. She plopped down in her chair, scared she was going to pass out with the way the room was spinning.  
  
_Wh-wha—was that? It can’t…no, it can’t possibly be him…_  
  
Her eyes landed on the uchiwa in her lap, picking it up and trying to make her eyes focus so she could see the picture on it. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth as she found herself looking directly into _his_ eyes. It was undeniably him--despite the picture on the fan showing him with blonde hair--she'd know his face anywhere. She turned the fan around and shook her head lightly as she read the name “Ryosuke” printed in bold lettering across it.  
  
_He…what…how?_  
  
She looked back up to the stage, staring at the moving figures on the stage, singing and dancing, but her eyes were unfocused and it was like she couldn’t really see them. They danced and then the camera moved back in on Ryosuke and he blew a kiss to the audience who responded with adoration in the pitch of ‘scream’.  
  
_This can’t be real._  
  
They moved up to the edge of the walkway that went through the middle of the seating, and she felt her breath rush out when his eyes moved over to where she was sitting. He smiled, it was so fast she wasn’t sure she actually saw it or her mind was playing tricks on her, and then he was spinning around dancing and singing again.  
  
The next song started and the fans were using the masks to dance along with them, and she felt a little worried that someone might seriously hate her since it seemed like she was the only one in the entire dome who didn’t know the moves, she wasn’t sure she could perform them if she did. Over and over again, he would move to her side of the stage and invariably he would look at her for a moment, beam a smile at her, and then look away.  
  
_Maybe he’s an identical twin._  
  
They switched sides, and then one of the other members pointed straight at her, smiling like he knew who she was.  
  
_Maybe he’s a clone._  
  
They finished that song, and suddenly Aiko-san was standing next to her, holding her elbow, “Follow me please.”  
  
Elliot was confused but obeyed, grabbing her bag and following him down the side of the aisle that ran to the middle where the group was performing on a round platform. When she had approached close enough she could have reached out and touched their shoes, he stepped in front of an empty seat and then gestured to the seat next to him that was empty.  
  
She moved into the seat, reluctantly standing in the spot, concern marring her features that she might be taking someone else’s seat. Aiko-san leaned over, “You have been given multiple seats throughout the venue to allow you the best view of the entire show. We’ll move each time we need to.”  
  
Elliot really didn’t know what to say, she was overwhelmed and the music was loud so she just nodded, her eyes moving to the stage where the boys were singing and each of them began saying a line about “you are number 1”.  
  
The fans were so excited she couldn’t help but enjoy it, their energy so pure and delightful, Elliot found herself moving along to the tune. These boys were talented, the whole group was pretty amazing, their voices, the way they danced, everything. She wanted to say that she was watching all of them, and she did try, but really—her eyes were continually drawn back to _him_.  
  
_Yamada Ryosuke._  
  
She tested the name out in her mind in wonder, watching him dance and sing and be sassy and make girls scream. He was amazing. He was beautiful. His voice was like an angel.  
  
_He’s clearly not real. You were in an accident or something and you’re in a coma._  
  
They did an introduction song and then many other songs, and it all became a blur. Now and again, he would come to where Elliot was—no matter where Aiko-san had moved her—he seemed to always cognizant of where her seat was despite the constant rotation through the venue. It was insane.  
  
_That’s it. You’re insane. That explains everything…this is a figment of your imagination._  
  
A song with a strong beat and heavy guitar began playing and then there were only four of the members on stage wearing blue jeans and a gold jacket. Elliot wondered if the other fans understood the lyrics that the member was singing or not since they were in English, and they seemed rather scandalous all things considered. The other three boys were surrounding him, doing a movement that was entirely too sexy for what seemed the median age of most of the girls she’d seen so far, while he sang about ‘give it to me right now’.  
  
Suddenly, the four of them were directly in front of Elliot. The one who was singing down on his knee staring directly at her as he continued the verse, and Ryosuke was there, gesturing to the other guy and then staring at her, making a cute little puffy face and peace sign as the others left that side of the stage to go to the other, while he stayed there for a moment. Elliot was using the uchiwa to fan herself since she was fairly certain the temperature in the building had ratcheted up to six degrees of hell—and then she blushed furiously when he pointed at the fan, smiling broadly, and she realized that his face was on it, and he was staring at her, while she held up this fan with his face on it.  
  
He laughed then, at her discomfort, winking before he turned to go to the middle of the stage where he sang part of the song.  
  
She didn’t know when, or how it happened, but suddenly she was waving the mask in the air with them just like everyone else, and she saw his expression was pleased when his eyes locked with hers. They ran down the middle and Aiko-san was dragging her then, she was breathless when she reached the seat directly in front of Ryosuke.  
  
He was headbanging, everything was chaotic, and then one of them screamed, and suddenly they had their jackets unzipped, their torso bare, and frankly, his was glorious, and he was staring at her, holding open the sides of his jacket, his expression clearly asking if she liked what she saw. She felt the heat that had been building in the room explode as she hid her face behind the uchiwa.  
  
_He was almost shy and bashful in the office…who in the world is this guy!?_  
  
The concert carried on like this through songs she wouldn’t remember, small moments that made her heart beat wildly with excitement, others that embarrassed her half to death, and still others that she couldn’t believe how insanely hot and sexy this guy could be, while in another breath he was like a squishy little teddy bear that exuded innocence and sweetness.  
  
Toward the end, he had come down from the upper level, the song they’d been singing punctuated with them throwing round plastic balls that they’d signed—the fans ecstatic over them, of course! He smiled at her as he walked across the stage approaching the walkway, then his eyes shifted to look beside her to where Aiko-san was standing since they’d come back to these seats. He nodded, almost imperceptibly, but she’d been honed in on every movement he’d made all night no matter how subtle.  
  
Ryosuke passed by her, and she was distracted by his…well, whatever, he was several feet away and his back was to her and then, with no warning he tossed a ball over his shoulder, and the pink ball was flying directly toward her face. She drew up her arms out of a self-preservation impulse and was shocked when Aiko-san’s hand shot out in front of her face to catch the ball. He held it up to her as she peeked through her fingers, slowly drawing her hands down and looking at the ball and then to Aiko-san, wondering what he was doing.  
  
“It’s yours,” he grinned, gesturing the ball forward.  
  
“No,” she smiled at his kindness, shaking her head, “I can’t take that from you.”  
  
“You don’t understand,” he laughed, “It's _yours_.”  
  
He turned the ball in his fingers and she looked at the part he was showing her, seeing her name written on it with a smiley face next to it. She reached forward like she was gathering one of the rarest treasures in the world, pulling the ball into her hands as she turned it around in her fingers to read what else was written on it. Some other words, ‘happy day’, and ‘smile for me’—and then his signature with a heart on it. Something she was sure he did on all the balls he threw out to his fans. Still, it was a _treasure_ and she clutched it to her chest the rest of the show.  
  
The concert lasted longer than she ever imaged it would and she was amazed at their endurance and stamina, when finally it drew to a close and the crowds began to disperse slowly after the encore. Aiko-san tapped her arm, as she was still dazed, and he guided her outside to the limo. She felt like she was walking on air all the way there, and then was surprised when Aiko-san handed her another bag after she was seated. She drew it close, peeking down into it to see the contents—pulling out another envelope.  
  
She ripped it open quickly, wondering what this one would say.  
  
“Dr. Meadows,  
I apologize for not _properly_ introducing myself. I realized you were not aware during the visit yesterday of my profession or status. Perhaps I should have told you, but I thought this would be more fun, and exciting, for both of us. Despite not being a fan before, I hope after this show you might now be a fan.  
I look forward to seeing you again soon!  
Yamada Ryosuke”  
  
Elliot’s heart was wobbly and fluttery as she drew out a t-shirt, followed by a tour pamphlet and a small case that held promotional photos from the tour of Ryosuke alone, as well as with the group. They were beautiful and she hugged them to her chest for a moment feeling like a schoolgirl again.  She took out the letters and reread them, tracing his name with a finger as she tested it out loud finally, “Ryosuke.”  
  
The name rolled off her tongue smoothly and made her fingers tingle as she slowly folded the letters and tucked them into the bag. She couldn’t stop the stupidly goofy smile that was plastered on her face, thanking Aiko-san profusely for babysitting her all evening, to which he denied and said he quite enjoyed watching her responses to the entire scenario.  
  
She fell into bed, deciding she couldn’t even consider doing another thing for the rest of the night, rather she just closed her eyes and slowly went over all the things she could remember about the concert so she’d never forget them.  
  
It could be that nothing at all would come from all of this, having reread the notes it seemed to her that they could certainly be taken as nothing more than a kind-hearted message from one professional to another.  
  
She really didn’t know what she wanted, or if anything she wanted even mattered at this point, but she was thankful for this one day, a day where she danced, and sang to lyrics on a screen, forgot about all of the worries of her normal life, and somehow, unbelievably she flirted with an idol—holding up the uchiwa with his face on it at one point and winking at him causing him to laugh as he passed her.  
  
No matter what happened, she would be thankful for this day in her heart always. She had felt like a princess, and as if her prince had done everything he could to make the night perfectly wonderful in every single way!  
  
_Like my own personal fairy tale--and he's my Prince Charming._  
  
As she drifted off to sleep, somewhere in between the conscious and the darkness, as the gentle notes of darkness pulled her under, she heard her mind wonder absently, “ _How did Aiko-san know where I live?_ ” 

 

 

 

 


	3. Be Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some strong language in it--that said, I don't think it quite reaches "adult content" level yet, but I'll be marking my chapters appropriately when I get there. If you think maybe this chapter should go ahead and be tagged as adult, please let me know! I'm on the fence about it! Hope you enjoy!

 

 

  
[Full Size Image](https://68.media.tumblr.com/904017b2474a385bbf7810aa85904d65/tumblr_oqbyoehp1B1wpcwt8o2_1280.png)  


* * *

Ryosuke had hugged his mother promising that Riku would be perfectly fine while they were gone on their trip. The other animals were simple to board or have a family friend check on—but Riku was aging and his mom was worried enough that she had considered not going on the trip at all so he wouldn’t have to be in the care of others.

He’d offered to take Riku to his house, something he knew would satisfy his mother’s need to have him taken care of by someone who would handle him with the care she demanded. He didn’t keep animals at his home since his schedule was too chaotic so it wouldn’t be fair to the animal despite how much he might love them. Since he would definitely be home for the week they would be gone—he volunteered to take Riku to his house and was looking forward to having an animal around underfoot even if it was temporary.

After having loaded his car up with every kind of paraphernalia possible for a ridiculously small, clearly spoiled dog for a single week’s stay—he stood on the sidewalk with Riku in his arms as his mother said goodbye.

To the _dog_.

Not him.

He laughed at her, pulling back so he could turn to go when she called out, “Ryo-chan, remember, I tucked the contact information for our vet into the folder with all of the other instructions.”

“Yes, Okaachan, I know,” he called back over his shoulder.

“Wait!” she cried out, causing him to turn around, as she came up to kiss Riku on the top of his head once more, and then she looked at Ryosuke, eyes twinkling, reaching up to fix his hair and then nodding in approval.

“It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” she smiled.

“What’s that?”

“If you had to take him to the vet…”

“Why’s that?”

“Oh, no reason,” she toyed with him as she couldn’t contain a smile, “Just wear something nice if you do have to take him, and be sure to brush your hair out of your eyes.” She reached up and pushed his hair away again, pulling her hand down to rest on his cheek, “Your eyes are beautiful, you shouldn’t hide them.”

“I’d be going to the vet, Kaachan, not on a date,” he smiled at her gently, working hard to not roll his eyes, knowing that she was just being hopeful, and at least she wasn’t trying to tell him to go on another one of those blind dates she’d recently tried to get him to do.

“I know, I know,” she responded, smiling before putting both hands on the side of his face and drawing him down to kiss his forehead, “I’ll never stop hoping—besides you could meet a nice girl at the vet, someone who likes animals like you do!”

Ryosuke laughed at this, reaching up with his free hand that wasn’t holding Riku, to hold hers to his face, “All of the vets at your practice are well over forty, and none of them are my type so I don’t think your dream will come true even if I did have to take Riku in.”

She laughed then, a mischievous smile on her face as she released him, “Well, you just never know.”

He nodded dismissively and moved to his car, securing Riku in the pet carrier he’d fastened in the passenger seat, waving as he pulled out of the driveway.

Ryosuke adjusted the volume to the radio, speaking softly to Riku next to him, “It’s alright boy, we’ll have a good time, won’t we?”

Riku had settled in nicely, of course it would be nearly impossible for him to not be happy at Ryosuke’s home. He’d already bought so many toys, and treats and goodies for him it was stupid—but he didn’t get to have fun with animals as much anymore and he missed having a pet. The first four days were amazing, coming home throughout the day to check on him when he was able, and then having him curl up in the bed with him at night—it was something he didn’t know how much he missed until now.

He'd wondered if there might be a way he could have a pet, maybe somehow—setting his mind on figuring something out, the fifth day passed and when he’d come home from work he realized something was amiss. Riku’s legs were wobbly and he was favoring one side. When he tried to feed him, he just turned his nose up and walked to the pillow, laying down on it instead of jumping up on the chair where Ryosuke was sitting.

He’d torn the house apart trying to find the envelope with all of the information in it his mom had given him—having just tossed it somewhere without thought since it really didn’t occur to him that anything actually would happen.

Once he found it, he made a call to them and the receptionist told him that the doctor Riku normally saw wasn’t in that day, but that the other doctor was and would be able to work him in if he came right away as they were rapidly approaching closing time.

He’d rushed as quickly as he could to get out of the house over to the vet’s clinic which was surprisingly close to his own home. He must have passed it before, but really hadn’t paid any attention to it. Once he arrived at the clinic they’d shown him to a room right away. The receptionist seemed…forward, a little too flirty for his tastes, and he wondered absently if that was who his mother had been imagining when she said what she had about the vet’s office.

He’d only been in the room a short time before a young girl came in to weigh Riku and take his stats. She was a pleasant sort, quite talkative, and very relaxed with Riku, who had seemed a little apprehensive through the tech taking his vitals and measuring him.

The girl had glanced up at him at one point, staring blankly, and then her mouth formed a perfect circle, “Oh!”

Ryosuke wasn’t sure what it was at first, but then a kind of recognition passed across her face and he realized that she’d just figured out who he was. He laughed, focusing his attention on Riku to keep from having another awkward conversation about his career and stardom.

She didn’t ask any questions, and she also didn’t treat him any different than anyone else would and that was something he found to be really nice. It didn’t happen very often in his life.

She told him that the doctor would be in momentarily and left.

He hadn’t been prepared, not at all…not for the way his stomach twisted up in a knot—and not just a knot but one of those crazy knots sailors could tie that were all intricate and beautiful, yet strong enough to do the hardest work on the boat—one of _those_ kinds of knots. He wasn’t prepared for the way his hands started sweating, and his voice was so small, and the way he could feel all seven layers of his skin like each was alive with a different sensation. He wasn’t prepared for how his ears could hear her breathe from across the room, or the fact that her breath was mingled with the pounding of his heart in those same ears. He wasn’t prepared for how his eyes would burn from not blinking for so long, or for how dizzy he was as the room  went spinning when he stood up as it felt like the axis of the entire world had shifted.

Nothing, not anything he’d experienced so far in life could have possibly prepared him for… _her_.

“Yama-chan, you okay?” Yuri was snapping his fingers in front of Ryosuke’s face trying to get his attention, “You’re in another world.”

Ryosuke’s head jumped back a bit as he focused on his Yuri’s fingers, then glanced up at him, “I’m fine.”

They were sitting backstage on some crates with a few other members waiting for the sound tech crew to finish up some last-minute tweaks to the sound system so they could do the final dress rehearsal for the show the next day. It was already 8:00 and they were not expecting to get out of there any time before midnight or one o’clock in the morning. Thankfully, the show did not start until the following evening at 7:00.

“You’re definitely not fine,” Yuri insisted, grabbing his crate and scootching it forward to where he could see Ryosuke’s face, “Is something wrong?”

Ryosuke huffed lightly, bringing his fingers up to his temples to rub them, closing his eyes tightly, Keito and Daiki who were sitting close by turned to see what was going on—they’d all noticed that he wasn’t quite himself since they’d arrived and got dressed in their first outfit. He was dazed and unfocused—they kept having to repeat things, and he would apologize, but even the apology wasn’t normal—said absently, without him making eye contact like he was already back into his own mind again before the words had even been spoken.

He was normally very attentive so everyone was naturally a little worried. They’d whispered when he couldn’t hear that maybe it was his back bothering him—as they’d all known that the pain had been aggravated by some of the earlier shows in the tour—and on days when he was struggling with the pain Ryosuke had an edge to him that was missing all the other times. His normally playful attitude was a little dark, his teasing nature a little subdued.

When Ryosuke opened his eyes to look at Yuri he had to laugh, as all three of them were gathered in front of him, their expressions full of expectation that he was going to reveal what was bothering him.

“I had to take Riku to the vet today,” he mumbled, slapping his hands onto his knees, tilting his head to the side to rest on his shoulder.

“Is he sick?” Keito asked, frowning, considering that Ryosuke’s Mom was undoubtedly going to have a conniption fit and possibly never leave her home again if something happened to Riku while she was gone.

“No, he was having some hip pain, he’s going to be fine, though,” Ryosuke answered, closing his eyes again.

“That’s….good right?” Yuri wondered, the words slow as he tried to work through his confusion about how the vet visit was problematic if everything was okay with Riku.

“Sure, sure,” Ryosuke mumbled, lifting his head to roll it to the other side to rest it on that shoulder for a moment.

“Then what’s bothering you? Your back?” Daiki dared to ask.

“My back feels fine, actually,” Ryosuke responded, smiling lightly at having a span of several good days in a row.

“Well, something’s going on,” Yuri spoke flatly, “and you know we’re not leaving you alone until you tell us…”

He waited for Ryosuke to acknowledge him and when he didn’t he continued, “…so the best thing for you to do is to just tell us.”

Ryosuke’s eyes popped open, then narrowed as he looked at Yuri, “I am far more stubborn than you.”

Yuri laughed, joined by the others, “That may be true, but I always win I the end— _everyone_ knows that.”

“Ugh,” Ryosuke grumbled, knowing very well the truth of the statement, “Shut up!”

Yuri didn’t move or change his expression, just waited patiently.

Ryosuke groaned, leaning backward and then pitching forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “Fine, there was a vet…”

“Well, of course there was, you were actually at the vet’s off—“

“Shut the hell up, Dai-chan!” Yuri practically screamed, terrified Ryosuke would decide not to tell them after all, slapping him on the arm with the back of his hand, “Obviously, he knows that…”

Ryosuke grinned, never growing tired of the dynamics in his group and the intricate balance they all supplied, “Anyway, there was a vet, her name is Dr. Meadows, and I just…”

_I love her. Oh, my God, Ryosuke, get a damn grip on yourself._

All three of the boys stiffened, holding their breath at what he might be saying.

“Well,” Ryosuke hedged for a moment and then blurted out quickly, “I just can’t stop thinking about her.”

The three boys exploded, jumping up from their crates with whoops and began high-fiving each other and talking excitedly, while Ryosuke just watched them with disdain, waiting until they quieted down, “This right here?” he gestured his arms outward, waving his hands in their direction, “This is _exactly_ why I never tell you guys anything important.”

“Oh, shut up already,” Yuri laughed, plopping down on the crate again, “You can’t possibly think you’re going to tell us you have a girl on your mind and that we aren’t going to be happy—you never, ever talk about ANY girls. Ever.”

“God, why don’t you make me sound more pathetic!”

“We all know the reason,” Daiki supplied, pulling his crate back over after knocking it backwards when he stood up before, “You’re held to different standards than everyone else, but the Jimusho gave us permission over six months ago that we could pursue relationships as long as we are discreet and wait until we’re twenty-four to be seen in public.”

“I mean, you already turned twenty-four, two months ago, and you haven’t even looked,” Keito whispered, flinching and ready to take off running if Ryosuke came at him for saying it out loud.

“I’ve _looked_.” His tone was far too defensive he knew, but there was nothing to be done about it at this point.

“Magazines and manga don’t count,” Yuri laughed when Ryosuke reached out and punched him the shoulder, hard, making Yuri groan as his rubbed the spot with his hand.

“Shut up!” Ryosuke hissed at him, glaring at the others for good measure.

“Spill it already!” Keito’s voice was excited as he nudged Ryosuke’s foot with his own.

Ryosuke leaned back onto the wall, bringing his hands behind his head, looking up at the dim light in the alcove they’d been hiding out in, “She’s…just…”

He struggled with words, not wanting to say the stupidly cliché things guys always say to explain things about a girl they just met and can’t stop thinking about, “ _smart_.”

The three boys burst out laughing, and Ryosuke couldn’t stop himself from laughing as well, because he knew he’d be thinking the same thing they were right now.

_She’s smart. Code word for ‘she’s so hot I would give my left kidney to do her’ and I’m not willing to say the lewd and salacious words I really want to say._

“You idiots,” he grumbled, still laughing, “Fine, damn it, she’s gorgeous, like…the kind of face that you would think is completely wasted by being a vet, as in, she should be a model or something—except she looks like she belongs in that clinic, you know? She’s got these eyes that are so bright, and she’s just…she’s short, right? Like, small and tiny and like so freaking cute, but at the same time, her manner and tone is sexy as hell, and her hands, gah, and I mean, I felt tall next to her, and her hair it’s…it’s almost pink because of this hue that it reflects…and she’s got these dimples when she smiles and she was bold but shy at the same time, and her voice and when I say she’s smart—I mean she’s smarter than all of us put together—including Inoo-chan. She’s brilliant, and Riku loved her, instantly, and you guys know how he is! But he was like ready to go home with her…”

“Sounds like he’s not the _only_ one,” Daiki raised his eyebrows up and down.

_Truth._

They laughed at that, and Ryosuke figured he should probably stop them, but it was true—if he were the kind of guy to just hook up with a girl based solely on first impressions—he would totally have wanted to go home with her. 

Honestly, he found most women to be boring—he didn't mean for it to be like that, he wasn't some kind of elitist or something.  No, it's not like he had some kind of unrealistic standard or wanted a 'perfect' woman, it's just that he'd seen so much, done so much, experienced so much...having a woman who wasn't strong and balanced, and intriguing--someone successful, someone capable, smart, excited about the world around them, well, he couldn't imagine finding anything to talk about to a woman who wasn't like that. He'd always daydreamed of himself with someone who was like him, bold when she needed to be, soft on the edges, and ready to explore the world...that's the kind of woman he'd always seen in his mind's eye—and that's the kind of woman Dr. Meadows seemed to be to him from first glance.

It was absolutely true—if he were that kind of guy, he'd sure have wanted to go home with her--in a heart beat--the real concern is that he had a feeling he'd want to stay there forever. That said, he was so far from someone who would do something like that it wasn’t even funny. He’d been raised by his Okaachan to respect girls, and what his mom might have left out—his sisters were always filling in the gaps—or threatening his life. That was apart from the stance that Johnny’s had always taken, and being an idol meant nothing he did was private, ever.

No, he wasn’t that kind of guy, though this was probably the first time he’d ever kind of wished he were—he felt both ashamed and embarrassed at the very thought.

“Maybe,” he admitted, his cheeks turning red which made the other guys stop laughing and look at each other.

“Wait,” Yuri leaned forward, studying his face, his posture, speaking quietly, “You _really_ liked this woman?”

“I don’t _know_ her,” Ryosuke answered flatly.

“Right, but that’s not what I mean, I mean…you really _like_ liked her, like you’d want to get to know her better?”

“Yes,” he knew there was no point in lying, he’d end up telling them everything any way.

“Wow,” Yuri leaned back, looking at Daiki and Keito with wonder, “that’s a first.”

Ryosuke hummed and nodded in agreement, “She didn’t know who I was.”

Yuri’s eyes popped open wide, “She didn’t?”

Ryosuke shook his head, “No, not at all, in fact, one of our songs came on the speakers overhead and I think one of the other employees who recognized me turned it up really loud, but the vet, she didn’t even realize, I could tell.”

“Wow,” Daiki murmured, “That’s crazy!”

“Did you get her number?” Keito asked, still wide eyed from the revelation that she didn’t know who he was—it wasn’t unusual for people to not know one of the other members—but Ryosuke was well known because of his many roles in movies and shows—not just idol work.

Ryosuke shook his head, “I was too nervous, I just…I couldn’t think of what to say and what I did say was so lame—I’m stupidly bad at this.”

“We have to do something,” Yuri announced, standing up, “Seriously, let’s invite her to the concert tomorrow.”

“Invite who to the concert?” Hikaru asked as he walked up.

“No one.”

“Yama-chan has a girl he likes!”

“Damn it, Chii.”

Hikaru’s eyes widened and his mouth popped open as he did a double take, “Yama-chan, you have a girlfriend?”

“No, I do _not_.” He glared at the others, already done with the conversation.

“It’s a girl he just met, we said he should invite her to the concert tomorrow,” Keito offered.

“That’s not going to happen,” Ryosuke spoke resolutely.

“It sounds like a great idea,” Yuto spoke enthusiastically as he walked up, stopping beside Yuri as he bounced on the balls of his feet in excitement, the other missing band members with him, having heard the end of the conversation.

“God! Guys, no, just no. Absolutely not, she doesn’t even know who I am or anything about me, there’s no way…”

All of his complaints fell on deaf ears as the other members were all talking excitedly and making plans, actually forming a circle in front of Ryosuke—blocking him out of the conversation almost completely. His eyes were bouncing from one of them to the other in disbelief as one outlandish idea was thrown out for consideration after another.

“Okay, okay, we need a name for this operation!” Yuri was so excited over the plans they were making he practically screamed over the top of everyone else.

“I have the perfect name,” Daiki said proudly, everyone growing silent as they waited for him to speak, “Operation Get Yama-chan Laid.”

“That’s it, for fuck’s sake!” Ryosuke jumped up from where he was sitting, kicking the crate back into the wall, “We’re not doing any of this and I sure as hell don’t need your help to get laid. God!”

Everyone was staring at him blankly, when Daiki spoke, breaking the silence, “We can call it ‘Operation Yama-chan Finally Loses His Virginity at Twenty-Four Years Old’ instead, but it seems a little long.”

“Enough!” Ryosuke exclaimed so loudly that Keito actually flinched, pointedly looking at the six other members of the group he knew for a fact were also virgins, narrowing his eyes when they landed on Daiki, and truthfully the other two members he wasn’t entirely sure weren’t also, but never felt like he could ask, “I’m not the _only_ one, you stupid asses, why the hell are all of you so concerned about me anyway.”

“Yama-chan,” Kota stepped forward, putting his hand on his shoulder, “We’re just kidding, seriously, we know that’s not who you are. I’m sorry, we took it too far.”

Daiki started to open his mouth to protest the fact that he certainly was _not_ kidding when Yuri’s elbow slammed into his side so hard it made him gasp for breath.

Ryosuke rolled his eyes, turning to stare at Kota’s eyes for a moment before he nodded, releasing his fingers that had been balled up into a fist.

“But…” Kota continued, “Your happiness _is_ important to us, we’re family, and if there’s something we _can_ do to help you, we’d do it, you know that?”

Ryosuke nodded, of course he knew that, these guys were his brothers and they’d come through for him more times than he could count. He owed them a lot more than he could ever repay them.

“Do you…” he spoke slowly, weighing the words in his mouth before he spoke them, “do you…think that…well, do you suppose she would come if I asked her?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“But I mean, I can’t just go ‘hey, I’m a famous idol and you need to come see me perform in front of 50,000 fans so I can see you again’—I wouldn’t even trust me if I said that.”

“Maybe it would be better for her to find out when she arrived? Just make it a nice gesture, versus an invitation to spend time with you?” Kei suggested.

The others agreed and within minutes a plan began to form. The next few hours of rehearsals, they did their job, but they did it with a contagious excited energy, each of them pointing to the seats here and there, and making plans on who could do what when. They managed to enlist the help of an unbelievable number of staff and juniors to help—everyone completely into the idea of helping Ryosuke since they all knew he was going to die an early death if he didn’t learn to chill out a little bit. He was singularly minded about work and his devotion to it, which wasn’t a bad thing really, but the collective of Johnny’s as a whole had long said the boy needed something other than work to focus on—and now that the possibility existed there was nothing they wouldn’t do to make it happen.

It was all very subtle, of course, the changes in the movements, the placement and such, because they knew that the most important part of tomorrow was the fans—nothing, not even a girl they liked could get in the way of the fact that they had a responsibility to their fans—and providing the perfect show for them was more important than anything else, bar none.

That said, they did work in some minor details and they were all very happy to be a part of something rather extraordinary, no matter how it might turn out. Once they’d finished the last set at midnight, they spent another three hours coming up with the rest of plan and how to execute it—ending up with a crowd of at least twenty all brainstorming ideas.

Ryosuke wrote letters, he gathered goods, he went over details of how things needed to be done with everyone involved, he walked Aiko, one of the older Johnny’s, who was going to drive the limo and be with her through the concert through all the seats that were hers.

“How do you have this many seats?” Aiko asked curiously, glancing down at the chart in his hand.

Ryosuke blushed lightly at how extravagant this really was, “The guys all gave up their tickets for friends and family so that I could use them for Dr. Meadows.”

“They’re good friends,” Aiko smiled nodding his head.

“They’re the best brothers,” Ryosuke responded as he took Aiko to the next set of seats.

He’d given all the information to him written down, and Aiko was familiar enough with the set list and arrangements he wouldn’t have any trouble helping her move when it was time.

Ryosuke fell into restless sleep that night and slept until nearly two, realizing how late it was, he jumped out of bed and went to the kitchen so he could prepare the meal for Aiko to pick up on his way to the clinic to get Dr. Meadows.

_If she comes._

He didn’t want to have his hopes up as high as he did, but he couldn’t help it…he really, desperately wanted her to come. The possibility that she might not made his chest feel tight.

He took a shower while the eggplant parmesan was cooking, and by the time everything was ready, Aiko was at the door to pick it up. He quickly plated it onto the crystal dishes he’d begged his sister to bring to him earlier in the day—not telling her why, just that he would return them in perfect condition. She’d tried to get something out of him, but he just pushed her out the door, telling her he was going to be late. She stood there complaining, for how long he didn’t know because he walked away after three minutes and then his phone started buzzing with her texted complaints. He blocked her number which made his Mom send him a message about being “mean” to his sister.

He told her he’d send her flowers which seemed to make his Mom happy in the end. The dishes his sister lent him were beautiful and it framed the meal perfectly. He carefully set it all in a box and handed it over to Aiko—telling him how much he appreciated him for at least the hundredth time.

After he saw Aiko off, he gathered his things and headed to the venue, feeling more nervous about this concert than his debut. Everyone stopped moving, turning to look at him when he walked into the dressing room.

“What?” Ryosuke asked, turning to look behind him, confused on what they were all staring at.

“We kinda thought you might bail on us,” Yuri laughed, moving to adjust one of the outfits on his rack of clothes.

“Don’t be stupid,” Ryosuke mumbled, sitting his bag down in a chair by the door.

He jumped at the loud clap, turning to see Kota rubbing his hands together, “Well, let’s go then!”

Ryosuke was confused as he was swept up into the group of boys, who moved through the back corridors of the venue quickly, their voices quiet and their movements soft as they avoided running into any of the staff. They led him, well, they pushed and pulled him was more appropriate, shushing him none to gently when he tried to demand to know what was going on. He ended up at a section of the venue he’d never even known was there before, hands on a ladder as he looked up to where four of the others were already climbing, “What are w—“

“Less talking, more climbing, Yama-chan,” Kei said, shoving him lightly on the back to encourage him to climb.

“Fine,” he mumbled, beginning to climb the ladder carefully, all they needed was for one of them to fall right before the concert and they’d all be in so much trouble.

_I mean, we’re not even allowed to do certain sports out of fear of us getting hurt, I think this would definitely be off limits._

He blinked as a bright light shone down onto the ladder from above, still moving upward but slowly so he could make sure he wasn’t going to fall from the change in lighting. When he got to the top, he grabbed onto Kota’s hand and he helped pull him up the rest of the way. He stood up, holding his hands over his eyes and looked around.

They were on top of the back entrance to the venue, a large flat awning that stretched out along both sides. He had probably seen it a million times but it never occurred to him that you could come up there.

“What are we doing?” He asked finally, confused as others had set towels out on the hot metal and sat down, while others actually had folded lawn chairs they’d pulled out the bag and sat down in, clearly, this was a well thought out plan that he wasn’t privy to.

“Waiting on your girlfriend to get here,” Keito called out, eating a piece of popcorn from a bag he’d gotten from somewhere.

Yuri handed him a bottle of water and pointed to a red chair set among the others, “Sit…we’ve got, ah…” he glanced down at his watch, “about fifteen minutes before she’ll be here.”

“What…w…” Ryosuke looked around, catching up, “She’s not my _girlfriend_!”

A murmur of ‘sure, sure’ and ‘whatever you say, Romeo’ flowed as he moved to plop down into the chair, he glared at them as he huffed, crossing his arms as he hissed, “You’re all fucking idiots.”

The group laughed then, knowing that he was excited about this no matter what he was saying externally, because there was one fact that remained, at least when it came to private, non-idol Ryosuke—and that was since he had to do so many things he hated and was uncomfortable with as an idol, he absolutely _never_ did anything he didn’t want to in his own private life, _ever_.

Ryosuke sank down in the chair, tilting his head down and drifting to sleep, the warmth of the slowly setting sun making the air feel smooth and comforting around him. He jerked back awake when the chair next to him skidded backwards.

“There she is!” Yuri cried out, jumping up and rushing to the edge of the platform when the limo came around the corner into view.

_She came. She really came._

Ryosuke couldn’t stop the goofy grin that formed on his face, standing up and moving to stand next to Yuri, blinking rapidly, then glancind down to the edge, taking Yuri's arm and pulling him backward a foot or so out of fear of how close he was standing to the edge. When he looked up all the members had moved to the edge, as close as they dared given the fact there was no railing around it, and if one of them died from this, or worst lived through a fall, they’d all might as well be dead for the way Johnny’s would punish them.

They were far too excited for what this was, pointing to the fact that this was a unique novelty—one they all looked forward to experiencing with each other, and hopefully themselves in the future.

Ryosuke felt like he might faint from the anticipation as Aiko opened the door and one foot moved out onto the sidewalk, a pastel pink shoe the first thing he could see.

Within seconds, she was standing there, looking as cute as any human being he’d ever seen in his whole life, dressed in an outfit that made him want to groan, as the initial meeting with her she’d had on scrubs and a white lab coat, leaving a lot to his imagination. This outfit, in quite an opposite manner, accentuated all of her curves, all of the sways of her silhouette, and for some reason he wanted to cover everyone else’s eyes when his were drawn to her legs, seeming so long despite her height, and the socks that stopped just above her knees and the fluffy edge of the skirt she was wearing creating the perfect view of her thigh, making him bite his knuckle for a moment before he realized what the others were saying, all of their words and exclamations jumbling together.

“Damn, she’s hot!”

“I’d definitely do he—“

“Look at her legs, she’s got the kind of legs you want to have wra—“

“Right!? I mean…”

“I swear to God,” he hissed, his fists clenching tightly, “I’ll push all of your asses right off this platform to your bloody deaths if you finish those thoughts out loud. I went solo once, I’m not afraid to do it again.”

This, of course, elicited wild raucous laughter from the others, completely disregarding his threat, causing them to grow even wilder with their statements, knowing exactly how to push Ryosuke’s buttons.

He ignored them, suddenly caught in his own world when she brushed her hair back off her shoulder and began walking forward. Her entire presence something other than what he’d seen at the clinic. She was so _feminine_ and looked so _soft_ , everything around her feeling fuzzy, as she moved toward the venue, she wasn’t just cute, she was breathtakingly sexy, as her entire body seemed to float, and he wondered if she practiced that or if it was just the way she actually walked all the time.

_Of course, it’s just the way she walks, you idiot._

He knew he was too far gone, and then froze when her eyes lifted to where they were all standing, his breath whooshing out when someone grabbed him around the waist and someone else was shuffling him backwards, and then he was tackled to the ground. Within seconds there was a dogpile on top of him, tangles of arms and legs and grunts and groans, and he was trying to bat his arms to slap people away but there was no way he was going to be able to move.

“What the hell!?” he screeched before someone’s hand came down over his mouth, Yuto’s face inches from his own as he whispered, “Shut up, Yama-chan, she’s right under us! She’s gonna hear you!”

Ryosuke’s eyes widened in understanding, realizing that he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to see if he was able to recognize her then if she looked too long at them, surely, she’d recognize him as well, thankful as always for his members who always seemed to instinctively know his weaknesses and universally compensate for them. He nodded his head, and Yuto removed his hand.

“Thanks,” he whispered as the others began to move off each other until he was left lying flat on his back staring up at the fading sky.

“Let’s go introduce you to your girlfr—I mean, friend who is a _girl_ ,” Keito laughed as he held his hand out for Ryosuke to take.

The concert was a whirlwind of emotions and feels and smiles and heart throbbing flirty over the top stupidly cute behavior and the entire crowd seemed to feed off the wildly erratic mood making the entire concert one of the best they’d ever had. Once the lift had brought them down under the stage after their final encore, Ryosuke dropped onto the platform, sitting down and curling his legs up to himself, resting his chin on his knees. His hands were shaking so badly, he wrapped them around and tucked them under his legs trying to calm down.

Most of the others had already left and didn’t notice him at all, but Yuri and Keito always lingered behind, always enjoying the energetic and excited way Ryosuke behaved immediately after concerts—but this wasn’t that…this was something completely other.

The two looked at each other, Keito shrugging when Yuri’s eyes asked silently ‘what do we do?’.

“I’m fine,” Ryosuke muttered, knowing they were behind him, “I just need a minute to calm down.”

The two boys looked at each other worriedly, not sure if they should leave him or not, not sure what was actually happening at all, but then Keito reached over and pulled Yuri by the arm, gesturing his head toward the hallway, nodding that they should do as he asked. Yuri reluctantly let Keito lead him down the hallway, glancing back to see Ryosuke still sitting where they’d left him.

“Hey,” the voice broke the silence, causing Ryosuke to jump, scrubbing away the tears that had been falling down his cheeks.

He glanced beside him to see Yuto sitting down, facing the darkness in front of them, the sounds of fans milling about outside of the tiny hold they sat in. Clearly, Yuri and Keito didn’t know that Yuto was still there when they left, but he had stepped back into the shadows on purpose, sensing toward the end of the concert that Ryosuke was heading toward a meltdown. He felt like despite the others wanting to help him, they hadn’t really dealt with some of these feelings, and, well, Yuto had, so he figured it made sense for him to try to help, or at least, just be there for him.

“We don’t have to talk,” Yuto spoke, not looking at him, “You can feel whatever you want to feel, you don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to say anything, and we’ll leave here and never discuss it. I just…”

He paused, searching for the right words, “I just…didn’t want you to be alone right now.”

Ryosuke was staring at Yuto’s profile, a fresh wave of feelings washing over him as he sobbed into his hands, completely confused about why he was even crying, because honestly? He was happy, he really truly was, and this weird cocktail of emotions was one of the strangest things he’d ever experienced.

Suddenly, words were flowing out of him, unfiltered, unrestrained, and utterly truthful.

“I have spent my life until now building walls, hell, we’re talking great wall of China bullshit here, like to protect myself, to protect Johnny’s—to do the right thing, be the right idol. I’ve put miles of distance between myself and the remote possibility that I could like someone, or look at them as anything other than a friend. If a girl showed even a hint of interest I had ways to shut that down instantly, in a way that was sometimes borderline cruel, to ensure there was no misunderstanding that I was not available for anything other than a professional friendship, nothing more.”

_I’m a damn impenetrable castle with a moat filled with alligators and fire breathing dragons circling the spires._

He laughed, but it was a bitter sound, his voice wet with tears as he continued, “I have closed down every part of me, boxed it up, put it under lock and key, the parts that even allowed me to look at a woman in any other way than a sisterly way. I’m not even kidding, it’s almost sick how good I’ve become at doing this—just putting all girls into this special place in my mind as pretty things to admire and look at but not to touch, like roses with thorns—and I did this, I mean I did it without complaint, I mean hell, it sounds like I’m complaining right? But I’m not complaining, it was all I have ever known! All most of us have ever known! I mean, I joined when I was ten, I hadn’t even hit puberty, let alone had my first spontaneous...well, you know...—“

“—and then it didn’t matter—because girls were off limits, so I just didn’t think about them anymore, just pushed them away, built my walls…and I've been comfortable with them, safe inside of them...”

He sighed, shaking his head, “…but all of a sudden, this woman is there and she didn’t just push my walls over, she blew them up with an atomic bomb. I was left completely defenseless and overwhelmed by how raw I felt. She didn’t even know, either, like I could tell she had no idea what she was doing to me, it wasn’t something she was trying to do, she wasn’t being manipulative—she just was _there_ , and suddenly I was unable to take a deep breath considering a day without her in it!”

He growled, running his fingers through his hair before pulling on the ends of it, “How the hell is someone supposed to function with this kind of nonsense running through their head all the time? I mean, I literally feel like I’m losing my damn mind! How do you even do any of this? How do you do anything? For all I know she’s thinks I’m completely insane because, look at how I did this, I mean I would think I was insane, for sure—because, let’s be honest, seriously, I mean, I have no idea…not the slightest idea of what the hell I’m doing here and all I can feel right now is completely _terrified_. There are at least a billion ways for me to completely fuck this up before I have even taken a single step forward.”

He sobbed into his hands, his palms rubbing violently into his eyes as he tried to calm down, taking a deep breath and whispering, “All I know is I just _really_ like this girl.”

_Really._

He didn’t know why, not really, he barely knew her in reality, but there was something there…that stupid thing in romance stories and songs about how everything changes and the colors are brighter when you meet the one that matches your soul—and that’s what it felt like to him.

Yuto didn’t interrupt, didn’t make any sounds at all as Ryosuke spoke, in fact, he just stared at the darkness in front of him as he released his feelings, letting him get it all out of his system. Once he’d been silent, and his breathing had returned to normal, he reached his arm out, and put it around his shoulders, pulling him over next to him.

“Yama-chan, this is one of the first risks you have _ever_ taken.”

Ryosuke pulled back to look at him, shocked by the announcement, and weighing if it were true or not.

“Think about it, even things you’ve done before that were challenges, somewhere inside of you there was the understanding that you would surely most certainly be successful,” Yuto smiled at him then, “It’s part of who you are, you are one of those people who sets his mind to something and then will do whatever it takes to make it happen, no matter how hard you have to work or what you have to sacrifice to see it done.”

The truth of those words settled on him, and he nodded, knowing it was fact, and he didn’t normally take ‘risks’ because he wouldn’t accept failure—which negated the idea that they were risks at all.

“This is different, because you can’t force her to return your feelings—it’s the riskiest thing you’ve ever done,” Ryosuke nodded as the words left Yuto’s mouth, “but, you need to understand something…”

Ryosuke shifted so he could make out Yuto’s features which were serious as the light from the hallway illuminated his face when he turned to look at him, “ _Is she worth the risk_?”

The words cast about his mind in neon flashing colors as he tried to make sense of the question.

_Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes…_

His mind was screaming the answer even if he was attempting to approach this using his logic and not his heart.

“If the answer is yes,” Yuto smiled, patting him on the back as he finished the conversation, “Then you need to be prepared to do whatever it takes, just like any other decision you make.”

Ryosuke nodded his head, knowing that there was a pact being made in the darkness under the stage, “Yes, she’s worth it.”

“Then, do whatever it takes and find your happiness, Yama-chan, listen to me, _be happy_ —because there’s no excuse now—the only thing that’s standing in your way is _you_.”

Yuto stood then, walking quietly down the hallway to allow Ryosuke the time to process what they’d talked about, happy in knowing that he was going to be okay now, he felt sure of it.

For his own part, Ryosuke felt a weight lift off his heart as he closed his eyes, trying to picture what lie ahead—the way he always did, as he believed strongly that you created much of the joy in your life by simply giving it room to happen—and felt contentment as he considered the future.

_Find my happiness. Be happy._

Ryosuke had finally pulled himself together enough to get changed and headed out of the venue, everyone else already gone, just the staff and crew working to get things set up for the next day’s performance. Yuri and Keito had both spammed his cell phone asking if he was okay, and he finally took a selfie and sent it to the group chat to basically shut everyone up since if the two of them were worried, they undoubtedly talked to everyone else about their concerns.

He’d just stepped outside when Aiko nearly ran into him as he was coming in, “Yamada-san, I’m sorry! I wanted to bring this to you.”

He held a box out in front of him, so Ryosuke shifted his bag back over his shoulder and took the box into his hands. Glancing down into the box he saw the dishes he’d borrowed from his sister, but also was surprised to see the box that held the champagne, and the other box that contained the glasses he’d purchased for Dr. Meadows, “Why are th—“

“Oh, and this!” he produced the autographed ball he’d caught for her, Ryosuke taking it and looking at him curiously, “She must have dropped it in the limo--she was rather…” Aiko struggled for words to describe her state when he’d dropped her off at her home, “Ah…”

Ryosuke laughed, rescuing him, “I understand, I’d be the same way I am sure. I’ll see to it she gets them.”

Aiko nodded, turning to go as he called out, “Good luck with her, Yamada!”

“Thanks, seriously for that, and for _everything_ ,” he whispered in return, Aiko smiling and shushing him as he walked away.

Ryosuke put the ball in the box with the other items, moving forward with a new bounce in his step, excited for what lie ahead of him—his mind already whirling about how to get the champagne and glasses—and the pink ball—to her as he walked.

 

 

 

* * *


	4. Netflix & Chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teaser:
> 
> Ryosuke, the world is often confused by love. They think love is all about how it feels, but feelings can lie. The truth is, it’s not about feelings, not at all—all love, all relationships—they start with a choice, and it’s a new choice every single day—on days when you love the person and they are your light, or on days when they are the darkness threatening to steal every ounce of joy—the feelings, good and bad, are at the mercy of the choice you make. To love, or to not love. 
> 
> I’m terrified, how will I know if I’m making the right choice, Kaachan?
> 
> Son, you know it’s the right choice because you’re terrified and yet still rushing forward. Don’t settle for less than what you deserve. Don’t deny yourself love, embrace it. You deserve to be loved most of all.
> 
> I deserve to be loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…just…please still love me when you get to the end of this.

 

* * *

Elliot’s weekend had been uneventful after her experience at the concert on Friday night. Of course, she’d mused that her measurement for “eventful” had certainly been rewritten after the amazing evening she’d had. It still had this fuzzy around the edges feel to it when she replayed the memories.

She’d woken up very late on Saturday, emotionally and physically exhausted from the day before, but eventually made her way to the park to try some of the pruning methods outlined in the gardening book she’d just purchased. She’d stayed there until the sun had set, enjoying being in that quiet space.

If she walked far enough to the back of the park it was like she wasn’t even in a city. It was surrounded by trees that created a wall that sheltered her from the sounds of the city, tall enough she couldn’t see the buildings or skyline—it was so peaceful and serene, and they’d put an area with curved wrought iron benches positioned in a circle that faced a fountain in the middle. As the sun dipped below the trees the timer came on and the fountain light clicked on—a beautiful array of soft colors causing the water to reflect the light onto the sidewalk around the base.

_Were colors always this pretty?_

She admonished herself for thinking in such a poetic, romantic way, certainly not the way she usually thought, well, at least about herself and her own life.

On Sunday, she’d done all her chores around the house, setting out her cloths for the next morning, and had to go to the clinic for an emergency call that took about an hour and a half. She had dinner with her family that evening and then settled into her bed that night to read a bit of the romance novel she’d purchased, falling to sleep and having the same dream she’d been having since Thursday.

_A prince who takes care of me, and me, a princess who would take care of him._

She did not have to work until 10:30 on Monday morning, so she took her time, eating her muffin and having her coffee, giving herself a little extra happy with an additional shot of vanilla into her cup just because it made her feel sassy which seemed to fit her current mood. She’d tried to not dwell on it, but when her mind inevitably drifted to Ryosuke and the event on Friday she would feel the butterflies fluttering around inside of her tummy and a warmth would spread softly across her skin.

She tempered the feelings she was having that tickled at the edge of her mind, practically screaming to believe in love at first site, at first glimpse, to trust that true love was real and sometimes it happened when you least expected it—when you hadn’t even remotely considered it a possibility—wasn’t even on her radar…yet, she tempered this emotion with a severe lecture about reality, facts, and practicality.

_Better to keep your feet on the ground, Meadows. Firmly planted on the ground!_

Despite her best efforts, she still found herself drifting off into the land of “what if” and minute by minute the possibilities seemed endless to her. It felt good to have something with such positive energy flowing through and around her. As she’d begun to make her way to work, each step had been light, and she’d felt like she was walking on clouds as she moved through the streets, smiling brightly as she came in the back door of the clinic. Taking the clipboard from Saya’s hand to glance over the schedule for the day quickly before handing it back to her, then stepping behind the screen to change into her scrubs.

“Are you seriously not going to say ANYTHING!?” Saya had to control herself from going over and shaking the screen in frustration.

“I thought it would be better to tell the story once, instead of fifteen times,” Elliot mumbled, trying to not smile like a love-struck teenager, stepping from behind the screen and finishing her preps for the day.

“I suppose that’s true,” Saya frowned, her eyes cast to the floor between them.

“You _knew,_ didn’t you?” Elliot stepped forward, causing Saya’s eyes to glance up at her.

“I did,” Saya laughed lightly, “we all knew—everyone but you. I’m sorry if it was wrong to keep it from you but it seemed like it would make the evening even more fun.”

“I guess it made the evening more of something, though the level of shock I felt, not sure it could be termed ‘fun’,” she stepped into the treatment area, the techs who were there stopped moving, looking at her, clearly unsure if she was mad at them or not for keeping the secret.

“It’s fine, guys,” she laughed walking to her desk to check her messages and then turning to glance back at them, smiling to reassure them, and noticing that Miki was sitting behind them at one of the other treatment tables eating her lunch.

“Well,” Mao stood up, leaning onto the table in front of her, bobbing up and down in excitement, “Spill it! Tell us!”

“It was amazing, and I don’t know how to even begin to explain,” Elliot knew they were going to ask these questions, and she’d tried to come up with a way to explain how it made her feel from the moment she arrived home on Friday night, but even now, the words continued to elude her.

“I mean…it was…just the most perfect evening I think I’ve ever experienced,” she was staring up at the ceiling, words failing her as sights and feelings, smells, emotions, sound—all assailed her body, mind, spirit, and soul as her memories spun around in front of her mind’s eye.

She had considered over the weekend how to handle this with grace and tact among all the ongoing daydreams and fantasies. It wouldn’t do for her to make assumptions about Ryosuke’s interest in her, and she knew she couldn’t go without ensuring he understood how much she appreciated the gift he gave her. She had settled on writing him a note, planning to send him some kind of gift, but she hadn’t been able to decide yet what would be a good gift to send, something friendly but she could hardly consider any kind of knowingly intimate gift, given the fact that she really didn’t actually know him.

If this was meant to be something more than a casual ‘thank you’ that was a little more elaborate than average, they’d get to that eventually—but for the very start she was trying very hard to not be too enthusiastic, not to imagine too much here that may not be anything more than kindness.

Despite her best efforts, every single time his face floated through her mind her heart would still skip a beat, and sometimes it felt like he was still around her, this warm, fuzzy feeling consuming her—like his arms were there embracing her or something. She couldn’t explain it and wouldn’t begin to try since it sounded crazy even in her own mind and she was the one thinking it!

“So…what’s your plan then?” Miki asked moving to throw away her food containers and sitting in one of the tall rolling chairs beside the techs.

“Ah, what do you mean?” Elliot asked, not really clear on what she was asking.

“Well, I mean, you’re a smart girl, I’m sure you googled the Idol, so you know _what’s what_ —are you gonna do _it_ or not?” Miki’s expression was something different than what Elliot normally saw, a hint of something cynical and almost vile appearing on her face.

“I…uh…”

It hadn’t even occurred to her that she could google him and likely find out all sorts of information about him. In truth, that felt a little insincere as she considered it in her mind even now, and she decided that would definitely be the wrong way to approach it.

“What are you talking about?” one of the techs asked, turning to look at Miki.

“Oh, the boys at Johnny’s aren’t allowed to have girlfriends or get married or anything like that—it’s completely forbidden! They’ll get into some major serious trouble, like could even lose their group and get kicked out!”

Elliot felt her mouth go dry, her eyes fixed on the movement of Miki’s mouth as the words, spoken so casually, so easily, were flowing out.

“So, clearly, if Yamada is trying to get _her_ attention he only has _one thing_ in mind!”

“Wait, if they can’t date then what is he…” the other tech’s eyes grew wide and she stared across the room at Elliot who was screaming, it was inside her, it was all internal, from the outside she looked perfectly normal, but on the inside, she was a screaming, throwing things, breaking stuff mess.

“Yep!” Miki continued, each word like a dagger directly to Elliot’s heart, “There’s been rumors for years about these ‘discreet’ liaisons different Idols would have with women—always beginning with something extravagant—and ending with them screwing the girl in both the literal and emotional sense—all of the girls discarded like a common call girl. I suppose for all intents and purposes _they are exactly that_ —but who would care about _that_!? You get to spend the rest of your life knowing you’d been with a real Idol!”

“Wow…”

“I know, right?” Miki laughed then, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d totally do any of those Johnny’s idols because seriously, they’re hot, right? Who cares, I’d do all of them!”

“You’re shameless!” The statement was issued as an admonishment, though Miki just laughed it off, not really caring what any of them thought, she’d do what she wanted no matter what anyway.

“Pfft, why should I be ashamed, I’m a girl with needs, and they really have what I need!” she laughed, then seemed to be considering something before she spoke, glancing over to Elliot, “Though, I mean I think a lot of times the girls didn’t know what they were getting into, so in that way you’re already a step ahead! You can just enjoy the _‘ride’_ knowing exactly what it is…I know I’d take advantage of it, and have no regrets. Who needs a relationship when you can just take what they are giving with no attachments!?”

The room filled with a strange assortment of laughter—some of them genuinely amused, others nervously watching the train wreck unfold, as they knew Elliot, and they were worried about all of this—despite her face being impassive, and her external appearance not giving anything away. Miki continued to rail on about the things she would do to Ryosuke, or any Idol that would give her the chance—the conversation quickly exiting the g rated realm and moving into explicit and mostly pornographic content in seconds.

Elliot wanted to claw her face off. Wanted to dig out her eyes, cut off her ears, numb all her senses to stop the pain from infusing itself to every memory she’d just cherished an hour ago.

He was…he only wanted to sleep with her? _Is that what it was?_ To use her for his pleasure, then discard her like she was trash? This was just an elaborate ‘one night stand’ that took a little longer to prep for because of his status? How could she be so stupid!?

_How could you not see this!? You’re so blind!_

“Well, are you gonna let that sexy beast, Yamada, fuck you or not Elliot?” Without someone trying to reel Miki in she’d grown bold, her words caustic and harsh, the level of her jealousy clear in every syllable she spoke, her eyes slightly narrowed, clearly expecting an answer, “I mean, I know you’re probably not experienced enough for a guy that practically screams ‘fuck me hard’ like him—but I’m sure if you told him you were a virgin he’d _at least_ try to make it good for you.”

“I…I…” Elliot couldn’t form words, nothing felt right, the air on her skin burned, and she turned to quickly rush to the bathroom feeling her breakfast working upward to make an appearance.

“When he’s done with you, make sure you let him know I’m available—even if he’s not interested, he can introduce me to some of the others!” Miki called out as Elliot turned the corner, hot and heavy tears streaming down her face as she jerked the bathroom door open, rushing in, barely making it to the stall before the contents of her stomach were expelled.

She fell onto her knees, her head resting on the cold surface, her tears pouring down as she tried to catch her breath. She jumped when she felt someone touch her shoulder, looking up to see Saya standing beside her, and Mao wringing her hands as she stood by the door to ensure no one else would come in.

“Boss!” Saya sat down, grabbing her upper arms, shaking her lightly, “That stupid bitch! You don’t believe what she said do you?”

Elliot struggled to calm down but it was like a flood gate opened and she fell forward into Saya’s arms, her face resting on her shoulder as she just sobbed onto the other woman, her body wracked with the weight of what she was feeling. Saya wrapped her arms around her and held her while she cried, whispering words of support and kindness.

Elliot hadn’t realized until that moment how many ideas she’d formed, how many tiny tendrils of hope and happiness had sprouted in just a few days, and suddenly the entire garden was nothing but poison. Every single growth and blossom was being violently ripped out by the root, one by one.

Saya let her cry, until she was just sniffling, her body shaking now and again as she tried to take a deep breath, “Boss, I don’t believe what she said! I think there’s gotta be something else!”

Mao shifted, catching Saya’s eyes, her face twisted into a frown as she pointed to her phone where she’d googled Johnny’s to find out if the things Miki had said were right or not, her eyes puddled with tears as she shook her head, mouthing the words, “It’s true!”

Saya’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes drifting down to Elliot and then back up to Mao, the feeling of helplessness setting into the pit of her stomach, because she was the one who talked Elliot into going, the one who hid the truth from her, she felt like she was directly responsible for how she was feeling now.

Elliot lifted her head to glance up at Mao, nodding at her expected horrified expression, “Please, don’t act like I’m not here.”

Mao nodded her head, a tear rolling down her cheek as she twisted the phone in her hands, “It’s…Dr. Meadows, it’s true.”

Elliot felt like someone had just grabbed her heart in her chest and was squeezing it—the possibility that there was something else, that Miki was just messing with her, it existed and then suddenly it didn’t—between one breath and the next, every possibility that could have fixed this was _gone_.

_Please just rip it out._

“Read it to me, please, Mao.”

“I don’t want to,” she mumbled, casting her eyes to the floor, shuffling her feet, looking much younger than she was.

Elliot held her hand out to her, and she reluctantly slipped the phone into her hand. Elliot blinked her eyes, trying to focus on the screen, reading the top of the page that signified that she was on Johnny’s official website, and clearly outlined on the page were the terms of their talent’s responsibilities, which included things associated with their health and wellness, dangerous activities and sports, and there among all the other conditions and restrictions was a paragraph about their ban on dating and the fact that no Idol is permitted to be in a relationship or pursue marriage while they are under contract to the agency.

She hit the back button, noting that the search terms turned up countless pages of sources of this information, ranging from tabloids, to reliable media sites, to fan based rumor sites. All of them agreed, without a doubt—the Idols were not permitted to have relationships, nor to marry, not at all, as long as they worked for Johnny’s.

She handed the phone back to Mao, attempting a smile to make sure she knew that she wasn’t to blame for the bad news she had to deliver.

Saya was frowning, her brows furrowed, “But he came back, and he talked to us…”

“What?!” Elliot’s head jerked up in surprise.

“The day he brought his dog in, the day you met him, you’d left, and we were doing some prep work for the next day. Everyone but the two of us had went home already, and we heard the knock on the door out front…I guess since the lights were still on he figured someone was still here.”

She shook her head looking up at Mao before she continued, “The thing is, we let him in, and he was really nervous, like seemed seriously nervous—talking about how he couldn’t stay long but that he just needed us to tell him something about you, anything so that he could just _thank you,_ he said that exactly didn’t he?”

Mao nodded, “He did, and then he said he wanted to send you a thank you gift, and I told him, mostly joking I swear, that he should just take you out to that restaurant you love over on the second avenue and get you some eggplant parmesan and that’s probably be the best thank you he could give you.”

Saya nodded, “He laughed and said he could appreciate a woman who loved to eat as much as he did….”

Mao continued, “We laughed, he laughed, we didn’t think anything of it. He wanted to know your schedule and we thought he was going to bring you flowers or something, you know? We had no idea about the ticket and things…but he was so nice…it just didn’t seem like he was just setting up some elaborate ‘netlfix and chill’ using a concert ticket and a limo.”

_What the hell is ‘netflix and chill’?_

Saya nodded, “I just didn’t get that vibe from him, honestly, Boss. He seemed nervous and just wanted to do something nice for you. That’s what we both felt when he left and we were kinda excited cause no one would deserve something that amazing in her life than you!”

“What is ‘ _netflix and chill_ ’?”

“God, how are you seriously _this_ sheltered?” Mao murmured before Saya leveled a glare at her.

“Sex—casual sex…no strings…just a fun time…” Saya responded, answering her question, then adding adamantly, “but he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would do things that way… _at all_.”

“Maybe it’s not his _normal_ way of doing things, maybe _that’s_ what made him nervous, I don’t know, but you can’t argue with facts, and I believe facts over feelings—that’s who I am, who I’ve been—until this weekend I guess.” Elliot shook her head, taking a deep breath as she passed the phone back to Mao, “That’s the mistake I made here, getting caught up in flights of fancy, letting myself follow heart feelings instead of clearly reading all the facts and knowing the truth. I _won’t_ make that mistake again.”

One of the other techs poked her head into the doorway, “Mari called in your sub—you should go home Dr. Meadows. We’ll take care of your schedule today.”

Elliot wouldn’t normally leave, not work, not when she was known for her professionalism—but she felt like her heart was open and bleeding around her. She was useless here and she knew it, and it was at least comforting on some level to know that they knew it too.

She nodded, Saya helping her up and walking her out to the back door, Mao holding out her bag and coat.

“Just bring the scrubs back tomorrow,” Mao murmured, hugging her lightly, then both girls watching as Elliot trudged down the path, not closing the door until she’d turned the corner and went out of their line of sight…both of them miserable and wishing there was something, _anything_ they could do.

Elliot walked, slowly and without purpose, in fact, part of her was just on autopilot. She couldn’t begin to understand how she’d made it home, but once she’d closed the door behind her, she moved like a zombie to her bedroom, throwing off her scrubs and grabbing the pajama shorts and comfy oversized sweater, throwing them on and then crawling up into her bed, curling up and let the deep mournful sadness seep out of her mouth, the noise thankfully muffled into her plush pillows.

She fell asleep eventually, her body so tired, so exhausted from the emotional strain. She knew now, realized, and saw it clearly, _this_ is why she’d never allowed herself to have any kind of romantic entanglements. She wasn’t good at seeing people, at seeing the real picture and not the fairy tale in her mind. She’d been like this as a small girl, asking her mom when her white knight was going to arrive to take her to the castle to live happily ever after.

She saw good in people; her default setting was to err to people being _innately good_.  In fact, it was impossible most times for her to look at things to see the harsh, sometimes bitter truth others were perceptive to immediately. Out of all the unique quirks of her personality—this one was probably the one that made her susceptible to being hurt, because she didn’t see when people were using her, abusing her…no, this was because she wasn’t strong, wasn’t good at discerning—but as she drifted to sleep she resolved that she’d never allow herself to be taken like this again.

_Not ever._

At about 3:00, Ryosuke walked through the door to the vet clinic, the now familiar chime signaling his entrance as the woman behind the counter, Miki glanced up at him, her smile instantly broad and in a word, _predatory_. This woman made him extremely nervous. There was no pretending otherwise, there was just something about her that made him uneasy.

“Well, hello there!” Miki cooed, standing up, her hands resting on her hips as she leaned forward giving him a direct view down her shirt.

_Was she this forward before and I didn’t notice?_

“Good afternoon,” he smiled, the disarming smile that usually bent people to his will, “I was just dropping by, I know I do not have an appointment, but I was coming by to speak to Dr. Meadows—do you think it would be possible for me to see her for a moment?”

He had left the other items in the car, hoping maybe he could convince her to join him for dinner or something, anything, as long as she’d agree to just spend some time with him—an opportunity to properly introduce himself, to say ‘this is me’ and hopefully control his emotions enough to not just blurt out ‘please love me!’ like some kind of psycho maniac. He felt the smooth surface of the pink signature ball in his palm, having plucked it from the box to remind her of his motive, spinning it absently as it settled his nerves.

“Dr. Meadows isn’t here,” Miki stood up straight, her flirty demeanor suddenly replaced with a matter of fact tone.

“Oh,” Ryosuke tried to replay the conversation with the girls from last week, certain that they said she would be here this afternoon, “I thought she was on schedule today…”

“She left, she came here and then left, I don’t have any idea, I think a stomach bug or something—the sub doctor is here.”

She leaned up toward him, leaning over the counter looking around him, then glancing back to his eyes, “Do you have an animal you need to have seen?”

“Oh, ah, no…” he shuffled his feet feeling flustered and embarrassed, “I just came to…”

He took a deep breath, nodding once, “I came to speak to Dr. Meadows, not as a client, but to…”

“I see,” Miki snapped, cutting him off midsentence, “Well, she’s not here…so…”

“Will she be here tomorrow?” he asked softly, feeling more and more intimidated by the second by this woman.

“Who knows!” Miki rolled her eyes, clear with her displeasure of his questions, sitting back down, shuffling papers to look busy, and Ryosuke stared blankly at her, not used to feeling so…dismissed.

“Here!” Miki slid a card across the counter, “Sadly, you are clearly not _my_ type,” the words were bitter coming out of her mouth, and he was immediately offended but not completely sure why that was, “but there’s enough Johnny’s that surely you know one or two or ten who might be looking for the kind of _good time_ I’d give them—give them my number.”

She immediately went back to doing whatever she’d been doing before he walked in, and Ryosuke was glad because he knew his expression had to be one of complete and utter mortification, absolutely appalled at what this woman was asking him to do. He wasn’t stupid…he knew there were woman all over the world who would instantly throw themselves at any of the Idols because they were so taken by the idea of a relationship with one of them—even if it was merely a sexual one—but this wasn’t something he’d ever witnessed firsthand.

He’d been fortunate enough, or maybe it was better to say he’d been insulated enough, probably something he could thank the other members for, that although he knew that a large portion of women and honestly, men, saw him as a sexual object long before they saw him as a human being, he’d never had any women be bold and actually approach or proposition him.

He blinked, finally, not saying anything, just reaching his shaking hand forward to pull the card off the counter and turned to leave, confused and bothered by the entire conversation—because seriously, there was something wrong with that woman—dropping the card off into the trashcan on the side of the walkway as he moved to his car.

He weighed his options—he could come back the next day, that would be okay, but his schedule the next day was hectic and he genuinely didn’t know if he’d be able to drive back here then. He could have left the items with _that woman_ , but he really didn’t want her involved in anything if he could help it. He could perhaps ask for the girls he’d spoken to last week—surely, they would take care of the items, and ensure they would get safely to Dr. Meadows for him. That felt wrong in the pit of his stomach and maybe it was his own stubborn, selfish need that he just wanted to _see her_ again that deterred him from choosing either of those options.

Instead, he opened his phone to look at his text messages, pulling up the picture of her driver’s license that the Junior who had delivered the ticket to her had secretly taken the day of the concert, quickly typing her address into his GPS and starting the car. He’d explain the whole ‘I promise I’m not a stalker but yes, I got your address in a less than honest way so I could send you flowers’ so she didn’t think he was out of his mind.

_Maybe you are._

In all seriousness, he had to consider the fact that nothing he’d done for the last four days was normal for him. Not remotely normal. He couldn’t put his finger on why he was so sure about this, so sure about her. It didn’t matter, he’d resolved himself to this and he was going to see it through.

He’d decided that nothing positive in his life was going to happen by him being docile and cowardly. This was the time to be brave and strong. To take that risk Yutti had helped him come to terms with. It was time to find his happiness…and he was determined to do just that.

The words from his mother echoed through his mind from the conversation they’d had the night before.

_Ryosuke, the world is often confused by love. They think love is all about how it feels, but feelings can lie. The truth is, it’s not about feelings, not at all—all love, all relationships—they start with a choice, and it’s a new choice every single day—on days when you love the person and they are your light, or on days when they are the darkness threatening to steal every ounce of joy—the feelings, good and bad, are at the mercy of the choice you make. To love, or to not love._

_I’m terrified, how will I know if I’m making the right choice, Kaachan?_

_Son, you know it’s the right choice because you’re terrified and yet still rushing forward. Don’t settle for less than what you deserve. Don’t deny yourself love, embrace it. You deserve to be loved most of all._

_I deserve to be loved._

He tried to continue to repeat those words in his mind as he climbed the steps to her apartment.

_Be bold, Yamada…be brave, you can’t make new paths without taking the first steps, be happy, this is about being happy…you deserve to be loved, you most of all, just knock, knock on the door…_

He looked around, realizing he couldn’t knock on the door very well with the box in his hand, so he pressed the box between his hip and the wall to hold it up, his hand shaking as he reached up, his knuckles hovering over the door before he took a deep breath and knocked quickly on the door.

_No backing out now._

He listened and there were no sounds coming from inside the apartment, it seemed silent and he strained to try to hear some indication that she was there.

_Maybe she’s not home? She was sick, maybe she went to the doctor…_

Elliot heard the knock on the door through the cloudy haze of sleep, groaning as it felt like her head was going to burst open as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, stumbling her way to the living room and to the door, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes, and swinging the door open prepared to tell her next-door neighbor that she wasn’t giving him anymore rice or sugar or anything—go away.

She wasn’t prepared to see Ryosuke standing there, smiling his beautiful smile, his face changing in front of her as he took in her haggard appearance, and then despite her shock, all her mind was screaming was to make the pain stop. Her arm moved without her will as she slammed the door shut violently. If only it were that simple, if only setting him beyond her visual sight was enough to make the world stop torturing her.

_What the hell is he even doing here!?_

Ryosuke had jumped, startled, when the door swung open violently, his eyes taking in her appearance as she stood in the doorway—she had on an oversized sweater that hung off of one shoulder, the edge of it laying low on her hips, a tiny sliver of loose fitting shorts with a soft floral print peeking out from underneath the edge, her legs bare apart from the slouchy socks on her feet, looking completely and utterly disheveled. Her hair was a tangled mess, her face was puffy and swollen, her eyes deep set and dark and her expression filled with pain.

He wanted to drop the box and rush in to make sure she was okay but before he could say or react, just as in the same manner she’d opened the door, it suddenly slammed shut in his face, his eyes blinking as he tried to make sense of what just happened.

_Maybe someone died._

_Maybe she’s got something really contagious and she’s afraid she’ll give it to me?_

_Maybe she doesn’t recognize me in normal clothes._

His mind rushed through scenarios, trying to explain what just happened, leaning forward toward the door, he spoke loud enough that maybe she’d hear him even with the door between them, “Ah…Dr. Meadows—I’m sorry to bother you, but I brought things you left in the limo the other night…ah…I’m sorry you’re not well…I can leave them out here for you?”

Elliot scoffed at his words, turning on her heel, invigorated with a fresh round of heartache at the sound of his voice, pounding across the floor quickly, storming through her bedroom, quickly gathering up the items he’d given to her from the concert, the mask, the bag, the pictures, the fan, all of it, as much as she could carry, she grabbed it all up into her arms, rushing back through the apartment fueled by the need to be done with this, completely done with it.

Ryosuke listened, pressing his ear closer to the door trying to discern movement or any sound that might indicate she was listening, but it was silent on the other side of the door, he glanced down the hallway to the other doors, frowning, “I would be worried your…I mean not to say your neighbors aren’t trustworthy, I mean, obviously, I don’t actually _know_ them, but I would be concerned, that is to say that someone might…”

_I sound like an idiot._

“You know what? I’ll just come back when you’re feeling better.”

He lifted the box up to leave, bouncing it in his arms to get a better grip on it when the door swung back open, causing him to step backward from the unexpected movement and the way the door crashed into the wall inside her apartment, the sound echoing through the hallway from the force she’d used to swing it open.

Dr. Meadows was standing there with an undefinable expression, and before he could formulate words, she’d stepped forward toward him, moving directly into his personal space, and then he realized she had something in her arms. He blinked, his eyes not able to look away from her face, it was fury personified, and so very beautiful in her brokenness.

_I will annihilate whatever has caused you to suffer like this._

Elliot felt a fresh wave of feelings rush through her as she took in his expression, pained and confused, a part of her mourning the outcome even as she was moving through the motions of destruction.

Ryosuke was shocked when she pushed on the box, stumbling backwards a step, looking down at the contents, confused, his eyes drifting over the items she’d deposited—all of the souvenirs from Thursday, they were piled up on top of the wine and glasses.

Elliot blinked hot tears away from her eyes, angry at the idea he’d see any tangible evidence of what he was doing to her, his eyes meeting hers, filled with so much hurt, so much concern, and she felt words bubbling up, a war raging in her because he didn’t _seem like_ this person, the kind that was out to hurt her, his face didn’t _look like_ the face of a man who wanted to use her—but facts were facts.

_You can always trust facts._

“Wha—“ he couldn’t control his expression, looking back up to see her staring intently at him, he frowned, “Why are yo—“

“I…”

_I hate you!_

“You….”

_You bastard!_

“You…”

_You monster!_

“I’m…”

_I’m not that kind of girl!_

“I just…—”

_I just wish you’d never walked into my clinic!_

Her voice was sad, yet there was an underlying tone that was like a small storm cloud threatening to burst, because the words wouldn’t come out right, and it infuriated her, they were caught in between her mind and mouth—and wouldn’t spill out despite her trying to say what she wanted to desperately to say to him.

Likewise, he couldn’t form words, his mouth just opening and closing, not clear on what she was trying to say, only sure she was very, very angry and hurt and he couldn’t begin to imagine why.

“YOU!” she hissed, channeling every ounce of hurt into the word, the way it moved in the space between them like a slap and a curse at all one time, before she stepped back inside and promptly slammed the door without another word.

_What the hell is happening here?_

Ryosuke stood staring blankly at the spot where she’d just stood moments before, and instantly, unable to process anything—just feeling like _something horrible_ was happening but he didn’t know what or why it was.

His mind flitted in all directions at once and then settled on the fact that he had come there today knowing it was a risk—prepared to take that risk—so he dug his feet in, getting himself together, stepping closer to the door, raising his voice so if she _was_ on the other side she’d hear him loud and clear, “I don’t know what happened to you, Dr. Meadows, I’m sorry to have somehow contributed to your suffering. I don’t know what I’ve done, but please know—all I wanted to do was to get to know you.”

He heard a noise from the other side of the door, a grating noise, but it didn’t open, he leaned forward pressing his forehead against the cold surface, closing his eyes trying to think of some way to get through the door but nothing would come to him, his mind was blank, and he hated himself for not being knowledgeable about these kinds of things, about relationships, about women.

And then he realized that he was absolutely right before, because somehow, he’d managed to completely screw this up without even having what could be considered a proper conversation with the woman.

_You’re such an idiot, Yamada. Of course, this is the outcome!_

“Dr. Meadows,” he spoke just loud enough that he knew she’d hear him if she were still there, just beyond those two inches that felt like a billion miles that now stood between them, “I’m really sorry, I just wanted to see to your happiness.”

He waited, he didn’t know how long, and the silence from the other side of the door stretched out, and his legs were aching and his heart was breaking, and finally, he turned, not willing to leave the items there at the door for someone to take…no, they were _hers_ and he’d see to it she had them back one way or another.

_“I’m really, really sorry,”_ he whispered as he shuffled his feet, stepping away from her door, turning to go down the stairs.

Elliot had pressed her back to the door after she’d slammed it in his face, sliding down the smooth surface as she bit her lip to keep from crying out, clenching her fists to keep from throwing the door open and either beating the living hell out of that man or kissing him senseless.

She was disgusted with herself—because there was a part of her that would have settled for just being close to him even if all he wanted was to use her and leave. Just to maybe know what his hair smelled like or how soft his skin was. That was insane, she wasn’t that girl, but here she was with a battle going on inside of her despite knowing that’s not who she really was.

She heard his words, frowning and shaking her head at the phrase he’d used, mumbling, “…see to my happiness, sure, sure….”

_Sorry isn’t good enough._

Ryosuke had set the box in the backseat of his car, slamming the door after he sat down behind the wheel, staring blankly in front of him at the street that was quiet and still. He felt a tear slide down his cheek, his frustration growing as his hands roughly swiped it away, then the next one, and suddenly he couldn’t stop the tears from falling. 

Angry and frustrated, his fists hit the steering wheel, “Fuck!”

He screamed the word, then screamed again, and again, his hands reaching up into his hair, leaning forward, defeated, as he lost the will, the energy, lost the battle, and felt weary, his voice silent, his tears all spent.

He had closed his eyes, searching for clarity, trying to make sense of what had happened, what it all meant.

_I was so sure about this._

But nothing made sense, nothing was clear, there were no answers.

His hands reached down to wrap around the leather on the steering wheel, grasping it firmly, squeezing it tightly as he felt his resolve, the feeling of helplessness falling away from him, as the spirit his Kaachan had instilled in him as far back as he could remember began to swell up inside him.

“I have no idea what just happened or why,” he hissed, twisting the leather under his fingers, the words losing power over him as they were placed into the world around him, his eyes snapped to his own in the rear-view mirror, making a promise then and there to himself, “but I sure as hell intend to find out.”

_I’m going to find out._

 

* * *

 

 

_I welcome your feedback! In case you were wondering, this gif is a good representation of me after I finished writing this chapter:_

__


	5. Now or Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teaser:
> 
> Ryosuke sat the puppy down on the floor, the leash clenched in his fist as he leaned forward over the counter, “Listen, I don’t know what your problem is, but there’s no way Dr. Meadows doesn’t have an appointment available in the next year. Please check.”
> 
> Something changed in her expression, and she stepped forward, closer to him which made him cringe a little bit, her voice a whisper, “Listen, I could check for the next decade and there would not be an opening available for you.”
> 
> He frowned, searching her eyes for an answer, “For me? What does that mean?”
> 
> “You’re not stupid,” she laughed lightly, rolling her eyes, “Surely, you understand what’s happening here?”
> 
> Reality dawned on him, the words bitter as he spoke them, “She’s given you orders to not allow me in to see her.”
> 
> “Exactly.”
> 
> Damn it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are any spelling or grammar errors please message me with them! I’m running on a severe lack of sleep but didn’t want to keep this chapter from my lovely readers any longer. I am hopeful I found all the trouble spots, but if I didn’t please do let me know! BIG HUGS TO YOU ALL!

* * *

 

 

After the incident with Dr. Meadows, Ryosuke had left and driven directly to his parent’s house where he spent the first thirty minutes snot-faced bawling his eyes out in his Mom’s arms like he was a two-year-old who just got told ‘no’ for the first time. In all of her wisdom, his Mom did not try to console him or talk him out of his feelings, as the truth was, he’d never experienced rejection before, not that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so to speak—but Ryosuke always had a kind of blessing that followed him where he went. If he pushed, the doors opened, if he leaned, the windmill tilted, if he asked, it was given. It didn’t create in him a spoiled character, not at all, in fact, he was quite humble despite these gifts—but she’d often worried about what would happen when he faced real difficulties. As she held him, she’d wished he never had to.

She was quite sympathetic, of course, but after she’d consoled and comforted him, she painted a stark picture of the grave error that he’d made by going to her home—in particular, for his less than honest way of finding out her home address. She told him that he had to be careful, a charge of stalking or other such thing could ruin his career, and it was a notion that had not even entered his mind. It was good that she had the common sense and wisdom since he’d not considered any of the implications. She’d scolded him with love, and then gave him a glass of milk and some chocolate chip cookies.

Maybe he was a  _little_  spoiled.

As he was leaving, she told him point blank that if his heart was bent toward Dr. Meadows, then he had an obligation to himself to see this though. To find out what was there, and to get to the bottom of the mysterious behavior from her. He begged her for an idea of what to do, but the only advice she could give him was to never meet her privately, to be sure to approach her in a safe environment, preferably public to ensure his reputation and character could not be defamed.

The next morning Ryosuke was parked outside of the clinic at 8:00 am. He had no idea what he was doing, not in the very least. That said, he’d called his manager and actually lied to get out of work for the first time since he’d joined Johnny’s. He told him he was extremely ill and could not come into work this morning, he requested they reschedule all of his morning work for the next day.

His manager was more than happy to comply, nearly hysterical, asking if he needed him to send an ambulance. After a few minutes of convincing him it was merely a ‘tummy virus’ and nothing more, he was relieved to find out the only things on the schedule for this morning were brush-up rehearsals and a tv appearance, which they’d only planned on three of them going to promote the tour, so they’d send Hikaru instead.

Naturally, an hour later his phone was lit up like crazy as everyone assumed he was quite literally dying if he didn’t come to work. One message after another arrived from various sempai and kouhai and even a few executives who sent their best wishes that he would make a ‘speedy recovery’.

_I’m definitely the worst human being ever._

Once the influx of messages arrived he’d checked the time, realizing that Jump would be arriving at any moment to their practice so he’s sent a short message to the group telling them it was an issue of a personal nature. It only took thirty seconds for his phone to ring, Yuri’s voice clearly on speakerphone and Ryosuke could only assume the rest of Jump was listening.

“What kind of personal nature, Yama-chan?” Daiki asked, his voice infused with humor and innuendo and Ryosuke was positive he was raising his eyebrows up and down even though he was on the phone.

“Don’t be an ass, Daiki,” Yuri chided him, “…but you’d tell us, right? Right, Yama-chan?”

It took him a moment to figure out what they were asking and then he was glad they weren’t in the same zip code together when he realized that they were asking if he’d spent the night with Dr. Meadows, thus meaning he was spending the morning with her, “Guys, what the hell!?”

“Seemed the logical conclusion,” Yuya muttered, and then several others sounded their agreement, and Ryosuke couldn’t help but wonder what kind of conversations they had about him when he wasn’t present.

“Are you telling us it’s  _too personal_  to share with Jump?” Yuri’s voice was laced with worry, and Ryosuke sighed.

“I was going to explain later in person, but I’m at the vet clinic, something happened, I mean I literally have no idea, okay? But she won’t speak to me.”

“What!?! Why!?” all different voices were asking at once.

“What on earth happened?”

“She was happy when she left after the concert!”

“Guys, guys, listen,” Ryosuke waited for them to shut up so he could explain, “I don’t know! That’s why I’m here—so I can find out! I didn’t mean to worry you guys, okay?”

“Are you just walking in and asking?”

“No…aah, umm…so I….kinda borrowed my Mom’s cat to come to the clinic to try to speak to her.”

“Oh, God, which cat did you borrow?” Hikaru asked gravely, knowing that the Yamada family had three cats, two that were at least non-lethal, but one of them, that one was a vicious feline that had a taste for human flesh. Ryosuke hadn’t cared which cat, he just needed an animal to use to see her. His Mom had picked this one—he had no idea her rationale and it really didn’t matter to him, as long as the cat got him in the door.

Ryosuke sighed, then his eyes popped open as he saw Elliot, “Guys! I gotta go, she’s here!”

“If there’s anything we can do let us know, okay?”

“Yep.”

“Good luck!”

“Thanks!

After they’d ended the call he watched as Elliot walked up the street, her head down, her feet moving in that same slow, graceful walk he’d remembered, though the glow around her was dimmed, she seemed sad and it made his heart ache. She was wearing some kind of knit pants, with a long-oversized sweater, and a hat…that had cat ears. He couldn’t see her face or expression, just the tiny tendrils of her hair peeking out around the hat.

He’d watched the other employees go into the building earlier, the techs entering through the back, and  _that woman_ , whatever her name was, she entered through the front. Elliot turned the corner and he wanted to run after her and just throw himself on the ground and beg her to give him a chance.  The meow sound from the carrier next to him reminded him of his intended plan.

“I hear you, Tonka,” he murmured, reaching over to rub the cat’s face through the opening in the carrier, jerking his hand back with a yelp when the cat attempted to bite his finger, “HIkaru is right about you, you know that?”

He didn’t move his eyes away from Elliot’s form, taking a deep breath when she finally left his line of sight.

“Well, let’s do this? Right?” He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves to get out and go inside.

Twenty minutes later he was still sitting in the car, hands gripping the steering wheel as he listened to Tonka pitch a holy fit inside of the carrier. He was sweating, his entire body tense and coiled, and he caught his eyes in the rear-view mirror.

“Damn it, man, you’re an Idol. You’ve performed in front of sixty thousand people, get your ass out of this car and go get the girl!”

When that didn’t cause him to move, he decided on a different approach, “Listen, you either want it or you don’t. You can leave right now, Yamada, and that’s it, closed, over, done. Or you can get over your debilitating social anxiety and get your ass in there and go get the girl!”

_Now or never._

He opened the car door, reaching over to grab the cage, glad he’d decided to go inside because he figured Tonka was going to rebel if he didn’t do something as he’d started slamming himself against the side of the cage in protest, making a loud squalling sound.

He entered the clinic, cringing when Miki looked up at him, her expression morphing through several emotions before it settled on what seemed to be indifferent.

“Can I help you, Yamada-san?”

“Ah, yes, actually, I am here with my Mom’s cat…Tonka…he hasn’t been seen in quite some time and my Mom would like to confirm that he’s healthy and that the food and vitamin regimen she’s giving him is the best for this age.”

“I see,” she nodded, looking down and tapping some buttons, before she glanced back up, her eyes narrowed, “Would you like to see Dr. Meadows or Dr. Okada?”

He took a deep breath, swallowing, clearing his throat, not fully understanding why he couldn’t just say it, kicking himself internally, “D-dr. Meadows, please.”

She hmphed, clicking some more buttons and then held her hand out to him.

“Ah…I’m sorry…I?”

“Don’t you have a list of what the cat is eating and being given for supplements?” her voice was terse and snippy.

“Oh! Oh! Yes, of course,” he sat the carrier down carefully on the ground and patted his pockets, figuring out which one held the paper from his Mom, and producing it to hand to her.

“You can have a seat,” she nodded her head toward the cat waiting room, “You should be called back in just a few minutes as we had a cancellation.”

He nodded, the heaviness falling off him as he put distance between himself and her, not sure why she caused him so much distress, but she just did, and he couldn’t care less about figuring out the reason. Not when he was really there to see Dr. Meadows and get this whole crazy mess cleared up.

He’d been sitting in the cat room for a few minutes when someone walked in, glancing up he saw that it was a tech he didn’t know, but this woman’s eyes were narrowed, holding a file folder that must have been Tonka’s, a hand on her hip as she stared at him, “Yamada-san, I’m having Dr. Okada check out Tonka for you today.”

Her words were coarse and clipped, and she jerked her head to the side for him to follow her, turning immediately and walking away. He grabbed the carrier and scrambled after her as she walked to another hall that he’d never been in before, “Ah, thank you, for that, but…I was really hoping to see Dr. Meadows?”

Was his voice always this small? What the hell was wrong with him?

She didn’t say anything, just opened the door to a treatment room, number 3 and waited for him to enter, completely ignoring his question.

She closed the door after he’d finally walked in, and he moved over to the couch to set Tonka’s carrier down, turning to see that the woman was staring at the folder, “I’m sorry, is there no way for me to see Dr. Meadows today?”

There, he’d asked again, point blank, and she had to have heard him, there’s no way she could ignore him now.

“No, there is no way you can see Dr. Meadows today,” she hissed, causing him to startle at how angry she seemed, “What’s wrong with your cat?”

“Ah, that…there’s nothing…wrong with him, I just---I mean, my Mom wanted me to bring him because she wanted to be sure he was getting a proper diet…” he gestured to the carrier, where Tonka was making a low grumbling noise, “Since he’s getting older and all that…”

“Fine,” the tech moved toward Tonka, stopping when he growled and hissed at her, causing the cage to shake violently, “Is he always this aggressive?”

“Ah, yes, I’m afraid he is,” he grinned, kinda glad that Tonka was basically telling the woman to kiss his furry butt, because that’s pretty much what Ryosuke wanted to do, well, except not the furry part.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” the tech turned and walked from the room without a single glance his direction.

“What the hell?” he murmured, to himself since no one else was there except for that cat and he didn’t think the cat really cared about much of anything other than maiming humans who came to close to him.

The door opened and Saya walked in, closing the door loudly behind her.

“Oh, thank goodness,” he sighed in relief, “I was wanting to ask yo—“

“Yamada-san,” Saya spoke tersely as she crossed the room to look into the rattling cage where the cat appeared to be completely possessed, spitting and growling as she came closer to him, “I’m going to have to take him out of the room to have him examined, may I have your permission.”

Ryosuke’s hands went up in the air when she looked at him, as her eyes were full of so much fury and if looks could kill, he’d be dead to be sure, “I—I mean…yes, that’s fine.”

His words were rushed and within seconds the cat was gone, carrier and all.

He paced for a few minutes, and then flumped down onto the couch, dropping his head into his hands, feeling like the world was conspiring against him. After about twenty minutes of self-reflection that resulted in nothing other than him concluding that this was one of those situations that he had to be persistent about, the door opened and Saya walked in with the cat carrier.

“Your cat is healthy, and the diet you have him on is good for his age,” she sat the cat down on the table, “You can see Miki to make an appointment for his wellness check up in a year.”

She turned to go, her hand on the doorknob, when Ryosuke just couldn’t take it anymore, “Wait! Please! Just a moment…”

She didn’t turn around to look at him, but didn’t open the door either so he rushed forward, “Can’t you just, please, just tell me what I’ve done so I can fix it?”

He watched as her hand gripped the doorknob tighter, her head turning slowly to look at him, “You can’t fix what you’ve done, Yamada-san.”

And then she was gone.

_Damn it._

The next day he was solidly booked and didn’t have a moment to breath, but the day after that, he was back at the clinic, bringing his sister’s dog in tow.

“I’d like to see Dr. Meadows, please,” he watched as Miki sat down the folder she was holding, her eyes narrowed.

“That won’t be possible today, Yamada-san.”

“Is she not working today?”

“That’s confidential information that I am unable to discuss.”

“I saw her walk in, is there a reason I can’t see her?”

“She’s booked solid.” He couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t even checking her schedule.

“Could I make an appointment to see her then, tomorrow perhaps?”

“No, she’s booked tomorrow as well.”  She didn’t even move, didn’t look, just answered.

“Then the next day?”

“No.”

Ryosuke sat the puppy down on the floor, the leash clenched in his fist as he leaned forward over the counter, “Listen, I don’t know what your problem is, but there’s no way Dr. Meadows doesn’t have an appointment available in the next year. Please check.”

Something changed in her expression, and she stepped forward, closer to him which made him cringe a little bit, her voice a whisper, “Listen, I could check for the next  _decade_ and there would not be an opening available for  _you_.”

He frowned, searching her eyes for an answer, “For me? What does that mean?”

“You’re not stupid,” she laughed lightly, rolling her eyes, “Surely, you understand what’s happening here?”

Reality dawned on him, the words bitter as he spoke them, “She’s given you orders to not allow me in to see her.”

“Exactly.”

_Damn it._

Not to be driven to give up so easily, the pattern continued, his desperation clear when he ran out of animals from his parents, siblings, and relatives to bring with him to attempt to speak to her. So far he’d brought in eight cats, nine dogs, a guinea pig, two bunnies, and a turtle. He’d even borrowed a neighbor’s dog—which was weird, needless to say. Some days he was seen in a timely manner, a few times he’d had to wait almost an entire day, but he waited, trying to remember what he was doing, why he was there. One day one of the techs came out with a sandwich, stealthily giving it to him in the cat waiting room.

“I don’t know what you’re doing,” the tech spoke in a whisper, offering the paper bag, “…but I admire your persistence at least.”

Ryosuke had been flustered, thanking him and wondering what the rest of the staff was thinking, what they were talking about when it came to him. Did Dr. Meadows know how often he’d been there?

His time had given him some information at least—he realized that two of the exam rooms in the building were hers, Room 4 and Room 5. They had a plaque outside of them with her name on them, the other rooms had the other clinic doctor’s names on them—so he learned to know if they were taking him to see her or not based on which direction they had him go. He also learned that she was very in demand and well loved, all the people he’d met in the waiting room had been very kind and quite enthusiastic over how well she’d taken care of their animals.

This made him very happy, despite not being surprised since that was his own experience. He’d also learned that they were almost always busy. There was a constant influx of people in and out and animals of all types, sizes and breeds. It was a little alarming, the clinic was fast paced and there didn’t seem to be enough people working to manage to see all the clients who came each day, and he couldn’t help but remember what Miki had said the first day he’d asked about her.

_…there's certainly been no time for relationships or anything as exhaustive as marriage._

Well, having observed her schedule in a really, he hated to admit it, a rather stalker like way, he understood why Miki had said it. The woman worked all the time! Even more than him! He also had realized that perhaps the clinic was taking advantage of her, as he’d often see the other doctors show up late or leave early, even when the waiting room was full—pushing all of the patients off onto Dr. Meadows.

Nearly a month had passed, and everyone kept asking why he wasn’t giving up…and he really didn’t know. He just found her fascinating—and if she was going to reject him, then he at least wanted to understand what he’d done so he could learn from it. There was a spark there, in the edge of his mind, that kept telling him there was still a hope, a chance, and he should remain steadfast.

So, steadfast he was.

He decided to try a different approach, begging Yuri to come and bring his dog with him in hopes that he could sweet talk Miki into getting him back to see her.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Miki’s response was full of humor, shaking her head.

“I’m not,” Yuri spoke firmly, flashing a disarmingly beautiful smile at her, “I need my dog to be seen by Dr. Meadows. I’m afraid I can’t accept any answer besides yes.”

“I can’t do that,” she sighed, her eyes full of stars as she looked at him, blinking softly.

“Can’t you, though?” Yuri cooed, leaning across the counter and moving a piece of her hair behind her ear, pouting a bit, “Is that what you were told? That she couldn’t see  _my_  dog? Couldn’t see  _me_?”

Ryosuke just stared at him, because he’d never seen Yuri do something like this before outside of a drama performance.

_Damn, he’s good._

“Well—I—I mean—it’s just— _no_ , I guess I wasn’t  _exactly_  told she wouldn’t  _see you_ ,” Miki’s voice shook as she spoke, her hands shuffling the papers on her desk nervously.

“Then, it should be okay for you to let  _me_  see her, shouldn’t it?”

“I—I mean—I can check and—“

“So, you don’t make the rules for the front?  _Pity_ …I thought you were in charge up here,” Yuri frowned, his bottom lip poking out a little bit.

“ _I do_ , I run the front,” she replied tersely, hands flat on the counter, Yuri flattening out his hand so that his fingers were barely touching hers. She stared at his hands for a moment before she shuddered, glancing back up to find him smiling again.

He was playing her like a grand piano and she had no idea. Then again, if Ryosuke wasn’t wrong about her, he figured she’d let him or any of the idols play her in whatever fashion they wanted and she’d be perfectly happy. He shivered at the thought of it, and wanted to step between Yuri and her to protect him from her, like her personality in and of itself was contagious.

“Have a seat, you’ll be called back in a few minutes.” She gave in, typing something on the computer in front of her without looking back up.

Ryosuke followed Yuri to the puppy waiting room, shaking his head, “You’re positively devious, Chii-chan!”

“I know,” he smiled brightly, “It’s a gift.”

“Thanks for this, seriously.”

“We haven’t made it back there yet, don’t get too excited.”

They both laughed, and Ryosuke was flooded with relief when a few minutes later they were finally called back to one of the rooms on Dr. Meadow’s side, in fact, into Exam Room 5, where he’d first met her.

After only a few minutes, Saya and Mao walked in—Mao stopped just inside the room, the moment she laid eyes on Ryosuke, looking over at Saya cautiously.

“Chinen-san,” Saya spoke, looking down at the chart in her hand, “There’s been some kind of—“ She stopped short, eyes surprised and then angry when she looked at Ryosuke, “Honestly, what the hell are you doing here?!”

Ryosuke narrowed his eyes in defiance as she glared at him, “I’m here to speak to Dr. Meadows.”

Saya slapped the folder down on the counter, “She doesn’t want to talk to you, can’t you see that? Isn’t it enough to have hurt her? Why do you need to remind her?”

He couldn’t help but clench his fists, because this was insane…he’d spent a small fortune, not that he couldn’t afford it, it was money well spent, but still he was bringing animals in to be seen in the clinic for the last month who were all perfectly healthy, all to attempt to see this woman for five minutes so he could find out what in the world was going on. He’d contemplated risking the restraining order route and going to her house multiple times but he knew his parents would let him rot in jail before they’d rescue him after his Mom had explicitly told him  _to not do_  that again.

_Twenty-four years old and still obeying my Mom, geez!_

“I—it’s not like tha—I mean, I don’t even know what the hell I’ve done here!” He didn’t mean for his voice to be so loud, or so angry, but there it was, out in the room like that, tension heavy between everyone.

“Then you clearly are entirely too spoiled by getting your way too often,” Mao hissed, her expression sharp and unyielding.

“I—wait, what?” Ryosuke had no idea what they were talking about, not at all.

“You know what you’ve done,” Saya turned to leave.

“I swear to you, I don’t understand what has happened here! I haven’t  _done_ anything except be kind!?” Ryosuke had stood up, and was pacing the room, “Do you think if I knew what everyone was so upset over I’d be here? The last thing I want to do is continue to hurt her!”

Saya stopped, turning around to study him, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth to chew nervously on it, glancing to Mao who shrugged, “I want to believe you.”

“Then just believe me, I swear I have no idea what is going on!” Ryosuke wasn’t sure he’d ever been as desperate as he was at that moment, even in front of Yuri he wasn’t afraid to plead, “Please, please, I’m begging you, do I look like I understand what is happening?”

Saya’s eyes took in his haphazard, discombobulated presence, honestly, it looked to her as if he hadn’t even slept last night. Her eyes drifted past him, landing on Yuri, almost startled to actually realize he was there since she’d come into the room and discovered Ryosuke she hadn’t noticed anything else. A shy smile crossed her face when he nodded at her, and then she looked back to Ryosuke, “Dr. Meadows isn’t like the other girls you….you…choose to play with, she’s innocent and...she needs protected.”

Mao bumped into Saya’s side, laughing lightly, whispering, “She’d kick your ass if she heard you say that.”

“Shh!” Saya glanced at Mao, shaking her head.

“Protected from  _me_?” Ryosuke’s voice was louder than he meant it to be as couldn’t piece it all together, couldn’t make sense of what she was saying.

“You’re gonna need to talk to him like you’re speaking to a child here,” Yuri commented, a wry smile twisting his lips as he spoke, “…cause you ladies aren’t being clear, not at all.”

“She’s not the kind of girl who does one night stands,” Mao spoke abruptly, done playing around, might as well get it over with, quick like ripping off a band-aid.

“Of course, she isn’t!” Ryosuke spoke vehemently, “What does that have to do with  _anything_?”

“I mean, oh my gosh, it has  _everything_  to do with everything!” Saya cried out slapping the folder on the table again.

“Look, I’m going to ask you to tell me what  _exactly_  you think I’m doing here?”

Saya seemed to consider whether to answer or not, but before she could Mao spoke bluntly, “Use Dr. Meadows as one of your hit and run women that Johnny’s are so notorious for.”

“Hit and…notorious for…wait…you think that I was…”

Ryosuke rolled the words around in his head, his eyes growing bigger and bigger as the implications of what was just said worked through his mind. He jumped when Yuri laughed loudly behind him, “That’s funny, cause Ryosuke is a—“

The words caught in Yuri’s throat when Ryosuke turned to level a glare at him that promised swift retribution if he completed his thought out loud. Ryosuke turned back to look at the two girls who had equally confused looks on their faces, “Then, this is what Dr. Meadows believes is true as well?”

“She does.”

  _Damn it._

 “Look, I can’t even begin to express what I’m feeling right now,” Ryosuke’s voice was laced with hurt, his hands running through his hair, “but I need to talk to her. I need to clear this up. I don’t know where you got the idea that I am that kind of guy, or I mean, really that Johnny’s are all out on the prowl using women as sexual objects, God! I mean seriously, I just can’t believe…”

He growled in frustration, “That’s not what this was ever about, not even remotely on my mind, and I need to make sure she knows that, even if nothing else comes from this, I need her to know it wasn’t about that.”

Saya stared at him, taking a deep breath and stepping forward to study his eyes, “You’re being serious, that’s not what this was about?”

He stared openly, daring her find any hint of falseness in him, “That is not what this was  _ever_ about.”

He took a deep breath, gulping down his nerves, “I just really felt like I had a connection with her, I wanted to…get to know her…not…any of those other things.”

His voice rushed out as he spoke the last words, and Saya nodded, “I’ll get her,” then glanced to Yuri, eyebrow raised, “If you’ll come with me, we’ll take your dog to the room next door for the exam…that is if you actually really did need to see a vet today?”

“Sure do!” Yuri smiled, not actually needing it at all, but finding Saya’s on again off again personality intriguing, he hopped up off the cushion and picking up his puppy to follow Saya out of the room, turning to peek back inside at a distraught Ryosuke before closing the door, “Good luck!”

A few minutes passed, then the door knob turned and Ryosuke was convinced he was going to pass out from hyperventilation, because seriously, this is not him. He didn’t have any idea what he was going to say or do, just that he needed her to know that he didn’t have those kinds of intentions with her. Other guys were so good at this, so smooth, but he felt like he was trembling from head to toe in his nervousness.

Then she walked in, her eyes were cast to the ground, and she looked so small and delicate, and her hair was creating a frame around her face, keeping him from seeing her properly, and he wanted to reach over and move it so he could see her better, but dared not to take such liberties.

“Whatever you want to say, please, say it, so my staff can stop freaking out every time you walk into the clinic,” she spoke softly, and he felt her voice wash across him like a ray of sunlight, she glanced up at him, shaking her head, before she looked back down again, “You’re kinda driving everyone crazy—I mean, I don’t even know where you got half those animals.”

He laughed nervously, “Dr. Meadows, I wanted to apologize…”

She shuffled her feet, and he took a deep breath, “I just found out that you were under the misconception that I had less than honorable intentions when I sent you the ticket to the concert, but, please, I need you to know that nothing was further from the truth.”

She lifted her head then, a kind of soft flicker of fire in her eyes when she finally made eye contact, “I’m not stupid, no matter what you think,” despite the words being harsh, her tone was small, defeated, “I did some research, and I know the truth.”

Ryosuke tried to not scream, because everyone kept talking about this ‘truth’ and he had no idea what the hell they were referring to, “What truth?”

“That Johnny’s can’t be in relationships, that they just use women and then discard them,” she murmured, twisting her hands together as she stared down at his feet.

“Okay,” the word stretched out, because Ryosuke needed a moment to curb the desire he had to kick something because seriously, is  _that_  what this was about?

“First off, there are so many things wrong with what you just said, I can’t even begin to formulate the words to correct you…” he shook his head, groaning as he ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on the ends in frustration, “Look, Johnny’s has had a rule for as long as I can remember, no dating, no relationships, no marriage, all of that, that’s completely true.”

She nodded, and he wanted to grab her face and make her see him, see the truth right in front of her, see  _him_ , see the truth  _in_  him,  _I’m here, I would never hurt you, ever_ , “…but just this year, Dr. Meadows, they changed that rule, and we are now allowed to have relationships after we turn twenty-four. It’s just…the Jimusho isn’t exactly forthcoming with information, it’s not like they put out a press release or something when they do stuff like this…they just change it internally—because they are so…myopic they don’t really care what the world thinks.”

Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, her mouth open as she tried to breath, searching his eyes for a seed of doubt, of falseness.

_This is true? Is this true? Was I wrong?  Can I believe this from him? I’m a terrible judge of character, I know, I am…what do I do?_

“You have no reason to believe me, I understand that, as infuriating as that is, but I don’t intend to allow you to live the rest of your life under the impression that I was trying to do  _anything_ other than to get to know you—I know there are some Johnny’s who have treated women with disrespect, but they are the  _exception_ , not the norm for our organization. I know some of them personally, and it’s sad, but even among the best of Johnny’s, what I can tell you is that neither I, nor my members  _have_  or ever  _will_  do such things. We hold Jump to a higher standard. We hold one another accountable.”

She hummed softly, trying to believe him, but at war within herself.

“How do you  _know_  your members don’t do those things?” she asked before she could think better of it, her genuine curiosity making her mouth open.

“I’d know, believe me,” he laughed softly, his expression hardened, eyes ablaze, “I’d kill them if they did.”

She thought about this, as he didn’t seem super imposing, but couldn’t help but admit there was something forceful about him, like the way a tornado didn’t need to be miles wide to be destructive—he might not show his strength outward, but there was a fighting spirit inside of him that she couldn’t help but admire. She believed that his members would consider his response before they took risks, it was easy to imagine that he would call them to task if they didn’t live up to not just the Jimusho’s expectations—but even more importantly, it would seem, Ryosuke’s.

He shook his head, studying her face, his stoic stance softening as he felt a kind of defeat wash over him, “Look, I just felt  _something_ …when we met and I wanted to see…what it was…that’s why I sent the ticket and why I did the things I did. I just wanted to see if…that  _something_  was really… _real_.”

“Thank you,” she blurted out, her hands back to wringing again, “I appreciate everything you did for me, sincerely, and thank you for explaining this situation to me so that I could have the right impression of you. The thing is, even telling me this doesn’t really change anything…I think we are just…both from far too different worlds.”

“What does that mean?” he stepped toward her, his hand moving out and then dropping back to his side again, “What do you mean by that?”

“It doesn’t matter what your  _intentions_  are, there’s  _nothing_ , there can’t be _—_ between you and I, Yamada-san,” she spoke the words so softly, but to him it felt as if each one of them was a dagger straight into his heart and soul, his eyes landed on her hands which were shaking, “We’re from two very different worlds.”

“How—why….but Dr. Meadows, you don’t even  _know_ me?” He wanted to beg her, but couldn’t find the words, the pain in his heart too much, because now, after all of this, she was  _still_  going to reject him? He was so sure if he could just talk to her, just reason with her, she’d at least give him a chance.

She nodded, squeezing her hands together, “I know, that’s true, I don’t know you, but I know  _me_ —and I am simple, my life is quiet, and routine, and… _I like it like that_. Your life must be chaotic and you’re… _you_. I can’t see it, I can’t imagine it. I’m sorry, but Yamada-san,” she bowed slightly, “…please, just have a nice day.”

She turned to leave, wanting to get out of the room as quickly as possible because his voice was too smooth, his words too beautiful, and his presence too intoxicating to allow herself more time there.

“Elliot.”

He’d meant her name to sound soft, meant for it to sound pure when he spoke, but instead, it hit the room with force, with a demand, a note of sheer desperation, conveying the deep passionate need to be sure she knows, since this might be the last thing he’d ever get to say to her, so the way her name fell from his mouth was a testament to his burning desire to have her know how he felt, to acknowledge just  _one time_  that he wasn’t imagining things.

The sound of her name on his lips caused her to stop, the way it was laced with so many emotions that hit her full force, her hand on the door knob, her heart beating wildly in her chest, every fiber of her body wanting to turn and run to him.

_Who cares about common sense? Who cares about doing the logical thing? Who cares about any of that?!_

“I’ll never come back again, you’ll never have to see me again, if you can tell me that you didn’t feel it too.”

She clenched her eyes shut because she almost made it. Almost got out of the room.

_I can’t lie to him, even now, even after all of this, I can’t lie._

_Just don’t say anything. Just walk out, stupid!_

_My hand won’t turn the knob, what the hell hand, do it, just turn the knob!_

A minute passed as her internal dialogue continued to battle the will to leave and the will to stay.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he whispered softly.

She turned when she heard the door click, finding the room empty and Ryosuke gone.

  _Damn it._

 She was a nervous wreck until the next day, walking into Exam Room 5 a little after lunch to find Yuri standing there holding a bundle of two dozen white roses.

Before she could get the wrong idea, Yuri stood up quickly, holding the flowers out to her, blurting out the words, “They’re from Ryosuke! He got called to do a reshoot of a scene and couldn’t make it but wanted to keep his promise so asked me to come instead.”

He bowed slightly and she took the roses, nodding her head, glancing around, “Did you…bring an animal?”

“No,” he laughed softly, "I didn’t have time to get one!”

“I see,” she smiled, laughing lightly, “Thank you for this, you were my last patient for the day so at least that’s nice.”

“There’s a note there,” he pointed at the flowers, and she glanced down to see that there was an envelope nestled within the flowers.

“Dr. Meadows, could I walk you home, perhaps so we could speak privately?”

He knew all of the people there had good intentions, but he needed answers that he didn’t think he could get between these walls.

She stared at him for a few moments, then blinked rapidly, “I—I mean, I was going to the book store before going home.”

“That’s fine, could I maybe go with you there then?”

“I suppose,” she shrugged, “It’s a public sidewalk.”

He laughed lightly, “I’ll wait out front.”

Elliot took her time getting ready, thinking maybe he would have left, but no, he was waiting there as promised, and fell into step beside her. She glanced over at him, uncertain, “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“I just want to make sure you understand,” he spoke softly, turning his face to the wind and she marveled, because were all of these boys this beautiful up close?

She waited for him to continue, he glanced at her as they turned the corner, “Ryosuke is a good man, he’s my best friend.”

“I picked up on that,” she hummed softly.

“I’ve never known him to have ill intentions—he has the purest heart—even in our industry—our line of work, everyone, everything is so cut throat—he’s not like the rest of us.”

She fit the information around the things she already knew about him, finding that they rang true.

“One moment, please,” she stopped, holding her hand up, and Yuri watched as she seemed to waver, concentrating on something and then she reached into the bouquet of roses, carefully pulling a single stem out, handing it to Yuri, and then suddenly ducking inside the building they were standing next to.

Yuri looked down at the rose he was holding, then glanced up at the sign finding that it was a rehabilitation center, curious, he tried to see what she was doing inside. Peering through the window he saw her talking to someone at the counter, and she handed them the flowers, turning to walk out, then quickly rushing back to the flowers again to grab the letter she’d nearly left in them.

When she came back out, Yuri couldn’t help but be confused. Those flowers were a gift from Ryosuke, how could she give them away like that? It was as if she could read what he was thinking, speaking quickly, “I always give fresh cut flowers to the rehabilitation center—because they use them for crafts with the children—teaching them how to dry them and press them into bookmarks and things. I wanted to keep those roses because I’ve never seen any as pretty as those in my whole life….”

She glanced back inside the building, her expression longing, then looked down, a note of sadness in her voice, as she whispered softly,  _“I really wanted them.”_

Then she shook her head, looking back up at him, “…but as we were walking past here, I just couldn’t take them with me—I would feel guilty for keeping them to myself and not sharing, so….I gave them to them—they’ll put the roses on the tables in the dining area until they begin to fade, then use them with the children…this way,  _many_ people are given joy from  _his_  gift. I think…”

She felt bold when she said it, “I think he’d like that, wouldn’t he?”

Yuri smiled, handing her the rose he’d been holding, understanding that she’d saved just one for herself, and then laughed softly at how true it was that Ryosuke would appreciate what she’d done there today, “He would love it.”

“Good,” she nodded as she gestured for them to continue to walk, “I have this after all,” she held up the envelope and rose, which Yuri noticed she had not opened yet.

“Why haven’t you read that?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “If I rush to read it then I won’t have this feeling anymore…”

He looked at her curiously before she continued, her hand resting on her chest, “…the fluttery feeling of possibilities…the unknown…what could be here in these words?”

She held the envelope in front of them, “It could be a confession, or it could be a demand…it might be a goodbye, or it might be a pleasant ‘how do you do?’ Once I open it, the fate is decided, and I think I’d like to feel the possibilities a little longer. I read too many romance stories I think, but I find letters to be a beautiful art that is slowly being lost.”

Yuri shook his head, considering that it was no wonder Ryosuke found the woman positively captivating—hell, he was having to remind himself that she wasn’t available—his eyes glittering with happiness as he spoke, “I don’t know what the letter says, in case you were wondering.”

“Mmm…” she nodded, “I figured he would not share his thoughts…” she paused, stopping suddenly, “Chinen-san, what did you want to talk to me about?”

He was startled by the sudden change in mood, and he took in her posture which seemed a little defensive, “It’s not my place, and I know that, okay?”

She nodded, accepting of this, and he took a deep breath before he sighed, continuing, “I just…look, he’s a good guy, and he’s my best friend, and he’s spent all of his life so far taking care of me, okay? And…I just need to do this, I just want to ask you to please not hurt him.”

“I wouldn’t hurt him, it’s not my intentio—“

His hand snapped out to grab her wrist, his voice laced with the importance of his words, “You  _are_  hurting him.”

“What—I just…”

“Please, can’t you just give him a chance?”

She looked down at where he was holding her wrist, his hand letting go, a whispered apology, and she shook her hands out, “I don’t think that it would be good for either of us.”

“Why do you get to decide that on your own?”

Her expression was confused, trying to answer such a question, because when he put it like that it seemed extremely selfish for her to be the one who was making all the choices.

“I—I don’t…I didn’t me—“

“He just wants to know you better,” Yuri interrupted her, “If you can tell me why that’s wrong, I’ll make sure he doesn’t come again.”

“It’s not that it’s wrong, it’s just that I….I’m…”

“Afraid?”

She startled at the accuracy of his guess, nodding, as he continued to speak, “Look, I’m just gonna be honest here, none of us at Johnny’s has the slightest idea of how to be in relationships, okay? They’ve ruined us, I swear they have,” he laughed then, not bitterly but genuinely amused, “So what you have is a whole bunch of grown-assed men over there who don’t even know how to properly talk to women or date them or anything—we’re a bunch of idiots—I mean, when I told my Mom what we did for you she told me it was absolutely insane and she didn’t blame you for running away.”

They both laughed at that, “…but we are all wanting to learn, and I swear, I can’t speak for a lot of guys, I wouldn’t dare, but I know Ryosuke—and there’s not a single part of who he is that would take you lightly, would take advantage of you. He might not go about things the most normal way, I’ll admit that, cause I doubt any of us in Jump would, but there’s no way you can cast anything other than good onto his motives.”

She stared at him, then smiled, “I understand…and I will give this to you, Chinen-san—it speaks very highly of his character that he has such loyalty from a friend such as you.”

He beamed under the light of that statement, smiling, “I’m not the only one, if you talked to anyone at Johnny’s they’d all say the same, he’s one of a kind. And I might say the same about the people who are ready to step in to protect you as well—those girls at your clinic are willing to go to the mat for you, you know?”

She nodded, smiling, “I believe we’re all lucky to be surrounded with good people, and the thing is, Chinen-san, I just can’t make any promises, all I can do is tell you I will  _try_  to have an open mind.”

He studied her, trying to decide whether to push her for more, but then saw a spark in her, something that he felt might grow, and nodded, contented that she wouldn’t be purposefully hurting Ryosuke, “Fair enough.”

* * *

 

Later after her visit to the bookstore and eating dinner the letter was sitting on the counter practically screaming at her to open it. She reluctantly picked it up, her name written on the front in a neat, tidy handwriting, and she turned it over, shuddering as she breathed, worried about what it might say.

_Now or never._

She dug in her resolve and ripped the envelope, pulling the letter out and reading it quickly.

* * *

 

Dr. Meadows,

I’m sorry to have to send Chii-chan to deliver the roses. I had hoped to see you today, but something came up and regrettably, I couldn’t. Don’t think I didn’t completely freak out when this happened, imagining that you were going to confirm the idea in your mind that my life is too crazy and outrageous for you. I’m prepared to admit, I have seasons where things are as you can guess, and then times, a lot of it, where things are so normal and quiet and serene…and I’d share that with you, I would. 

See, I want to say something, and it might have been impossible for me to say it in person, but here I find the words are easy to write. I need you to know something—you said to me that you weren’t stupid, and believe me, I know that, I can see how brilliant you are, but I am going to tell you a fact I’m not sure you understand.

_I’m not stupid either._

I am not worldly, no. I have lived a very sheltered, insulated life. I know that goes against what the world thinks of idols, but I’m being completely honest with you. I don’t know how other famous people are handled, but we, Johnny’s are handled very carefully—we are protected, we are able to grow up a little slower than one would think. In particular, I have been sheltered by my group. We stand out among the Johnny’s because of our friendship, our brotherhood, and my group has taken care of me, allowed me to grow at my own pace. Yes, I’m an idol...but I am not very good at being anything extroverted apart from characters I play, and as far as talking to people and knowing how to interact, I’m just an idiot who barely scrapes by on the rudimentary knowledge I learned in elementary school about social normality. I’ve never been in a relationship, and honestly, I don’t know the first thing about it.

But I want to. I want to learn with you.

_I’m not stupid._

I know there’s something here, between you and me. I  **know** you feel it too, or you would have walked out of that door yesterday.

You didn’t because  **I’m right**.

I’m not asking you to do anything, nothing, other than give me the chance to show you who I am. Show me who you are, and if we become friends that’s great, if it becomes  **more** that’s great, too.

I can live with knowing you on  _any_  level—honestly, the only thing I can’t live with is not knowing what could have been because we were both too afraid to try.

I’m willing to take the risk.

Are you?

Kindest hopes,

Yamada Ryosuke

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I appreciate every single hit, every number, every kudo, and Lord, do I love your comments! Can not begin to express how much! THANK YOU ALL FOR READING MY WORK!


	6. I Don't Mean To.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Exam Room 5  
> Pairing/Relationship: Yamada Ryosuke x OC/Elliot  
> Rating: PG  
> Warnings: Language, Sick/Dying Animals  
> Genre: Romance/Fluff, slight Angst
> 
> Teaser: 
> 
> Chinen-san had talked to her yesterday, and delivered the message from Ryosuke, and didn’t she resolve to try? Didn’t she? And Saya had been so encouraging, she really helped her see all of the possibilities and how silly it was to not try–and she did promise her to try! Didn’t she?
> 
> I did. I promised.
> 
> She wouldn’t break that promise to Saya, the promise to try. 
> 
> I won’t do it. I won’t break that promise. 
> 
> I don’t mean to.
> 
> “Hello…”
> 
> She jumped, squealing when the voice spoke behind her, one hand slapping against her fluttering heart, the other covering her mouth, as she turned to find Ryosuke standing there, hands in his pocket, shuffling his feet, eyes cast to the ground between them.

## 

 

* * *

 

“So here’s the thing, you text me and tell me what she says, and I’ll text you and tell you what he says? Give me your cellphone.” 

Saya was staring at Yuri like he was positively out of his mind, “You want my cellphone?”

“Unless you prefer we send letters through the mail, this seems like the easiest form of communication?”

“I suppose,” she unlocked her phone, handing it to him, confused about how quickly the entire conversation had happened–though, they both certainly agreed, they needed to help Elliot and Ryosuke.

Yuri handed her his phone after he unlocked it so she could put her info into his, and once they were done they traded phones back.

“So…we have a name for this operation?” he asked excitedly.

“Ah…I’ll leave that up to you,” she laughed nervously, which was weird, because she wasn’t ordinarily a nervous type person, but he sort of unnerved her.

After he’d left she received a text from him within minutes.

 **Yuri:**  Operation Get Them Together. We’ll just call it “Get”. What do you think?

 **Saya:**  Sounds good!

 **Yuri:**  Hey, Saya?

 **Saya:**  Hmm?

 **Yuri:**  Go out with me?

 **Saya:**  LOL No.

 **Yuri:**  Why not?

 **Saya:**  Because I don’t even know you!

 **Yuri:**  Isn’t that why you date someone?

 **Yuri:**  〈(゜。゜)

 **Saya:**  Because…I’m too busy!

 **Yuri:**  That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. I’m devastated.

 **Saya:**  OMG you’re FINE you don’t even know me either.

 **Saya:**   ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Yuri:** That’s the reason I asked you on a date!? 

 **Yuri:**   (｀_´)ゞ

 **Yuri:**  How else am I supposed to get to know you?

 **Saya:**   UGH. I’ve gotta go work!

 **Yuri:**  I’ll ask tomorrow.

 **Yuri:**   ♡+* Ɗɑɫë Më *+♡

 **Saya:**  The answer isn’t going to change.

 **Saya:**  <(｀^´)>

 **Yuri:**  We’ll see…

 **Yuri:**    (◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦) Ȼ ɧ ư ♡

* * *

Elliot had left the house early enough to check on her park—she chastised herself for calling it ‘her’ park, since it obviously wasn’t, but since she’d moved into her neighborhood, she felt like it was hers. In particular since she’d been putting so much blood, sweat and tears into it lately she felt an even greater sense of belonging there. She moved slowly down the wrought iron fence, frowning as she grasped the gate, peeking through to see the disarray of what was once a beautiful, lovely place of comfort in the midst of such a chaotic city. She frowned, trying to figure out how she could possibly work her schedule to get inside to clean up the mess.

It made her heart hurt.

She’d been too busy with work, for several months now to get in there to try to keep the wild foliage tamed, and it showed. Even when she wasn’t busy with work, she found herself lost in her own thoughts, and too exhausted from the way her mind was always running to even think about leaving her house.

Everything was so  _confusing_. Ryosuke had come to the clinic—so many times, so many days, with so many animals she couldn’t begin to guess where they’d all come from. Eventually, the staff tried to hide his presence in the building from her because they could see how the light in her eyes faded a little each time he was mentioned. She tried her best to hide it, and maybe some of them bought it but she never could hide anything from Saya or Mako…they just knew her too well.

She couldn’t stop thinking about him though, and every time he was in the building she cringed, because the overwhelming desire she felt was to run to him. Sometimes she had to go to the bathroom and give herself a firm talking to, and other times, her entire body trembled the whole day, with the need to go see him.

Her life had been filled with  nothing but self-denial for these past many months.

She knew all of the feelings she’d felt, that all of it, undoubtedly was probably all an illusion her overactive imagination had created, and her own Mother, kind as she is had admonished her for getting caught up in such a ‘whimsical’ scenario. She sometimes couldn’t help but resent the fact that her mother, which of her own account, was a very imaginative and delightful person, had pushed Elliot from the earliest of age to be more than she had become herself. To embrace her intelligence, to be bold and outspoken, and to be above everything else,  _practical_.

It didn’t matter how much she’d done, all of the attempts to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground—from the first time her Grandmother from America had read her the story of Cinderella and Snow White, she was hooked…the part of her that was a romantic, sappy fool began to develop on that day when she was four, and it had never stopped.

She’d hidden the books she’d read, covering them with other book covers so that her Mom would think she was reading some  _sensible_ book, and not another fanciful tale about other worlds, other lives, other fantasies, wrapped up in magical enchantments that always left her heart fluttering.

She just couldn’t shake it, the thing inside of her that wanted to go talk to him, to find out who he really was, if all the glitter and glow and sparkles were taken away from him—who was the  _real_  Yamada Ryosuke? She knew she might hate him if she knew—if he really was the person that Miki had described him as—if he really was just a self-absorbed, pretentious jerk who didn’t care about anyone or anything other than his own personal pleasure?

If it came to that, then she’d rather just continue to not know, to just pretend that there was at least a small part of him that had reached out to her for a better reason, a kinder reason, a more romantic reason than to simply use her. To keep the magical enchantment of ‘Yamada Ryosuke’ alive inside of her, instead of it falling to the ground in the cold face of reality, she’d prefer that, she wanted it.

Yet, something inside her, the smallest voice speaking so very softly, imploring straight to her heart, kept telling her to just go, to move, to let her feet carry her into his arms, and that part of her was resistant to practicality, or reality, or really, anything other than the phrase ‘happily ever after’.

So, one night she’d given into the voices, after he’d come to the clinic the fifth time, she opened her browser, and she did it, despite her mind screaming that she was a crazy fool for even punishing herself by digging deeper—she had…in fact, dug deeper. She’d found the internet was a bounty full of information about Yamada Ryosuke. She’d read scans of interviews, thousands it would seem, she’d watched videos of him—some of them music videos, concert videos, television shows, variety shows, movies…she’d been lost in the rabbit hole for well over a two months.

It was hard to reconcile—the person he presented himself as when he was portraying the idol—with the person she’d met in her clinic. They seemed worlds apart—at least at first glance they did.

Then, she’d really dug deep past the surface and found things that caused the conflict within her to grow deeper. He was so caring for others, he gave of his time, energy, and talent to help others, they way he spoke about his family, and the other group members—and he was so kind-hearted—he’d been caught multiple times when the staff were hoping to show him being selfish or unkind—and rather, each time he’d been shown going above and beyond expectations to help others, to comfort them, to take care of them. Those things felt truer than the other part she’d seen, the self-confident, center ace that he was in the group.

He said he was bashful with girls, talked about how he didn’t see himself the way others did—the parts of himself he was insecure about, and she’d had a really hard time processing that—because he was beautiful. It nearly hurt to look at him, and she could see no flaw to be found in him, but he had a long list of things he thought were not manly enough, or good enough, and she wanted to cry, because how could he be so disillusioned?

He wasn’t self-centered, from what she’d found it was quite the opposite, in fact, he’d put himself in a position over and over again to be made fun of, to make people laugh, to bring that kind of positive energy to his group, and he was silly and goofy and seemed to just be completely relaxed in the parts she’d seen from behind the scenes of the group’s video shoots. Clearly, they all possessed a very unique and deep bond with one another—it was undeniable.

She’d been shocked to find out how long he’d been in the business…how he’d pretty much been raised as a Johnny, and then the insecurities made more sense to her—because how hard must it have been to grow from a young boy into a man in front of the public? To go through the awkward teenage stage having every single phase fully documented with pictures and videos and shows? It had to be horrible, and if the only thing he came out of that with was a few insecurities then he was a miracle, they all kinda were as far as she could tell.

Of course, despite trying to avoid them, she’d run across plenty of the rumors and the speculation and all of the things that people said, the good, the bad, the ugly. It was strange to her how obsessed people were, and reading comments she understood why Johnny’s had created such a strict environment to keep the idols from having relationships. There were a lot of fans who expected it. 

Absolutely did not want them to break the fantasy.

It didn’t seem fair to Elliot and she felt a sense of injustice, but then she knew she didn’t fully understand anything about that lifestyle and what it might demand. It made her sad to think about the people who had come and gone through these boy’s lives, all having the potential to be the love of their lives, and they had to live with the denial of that. It just didn’t seem right, and the more she learned the more it tortured her, the more it hurt her.

It felt to her like her rejection, if she was indeed wrong about Ryosuke’s intentions, then…her rejection, it would have been a slap to the face on so many levels. She never wanted to hurt him, she just didn’t want to be hurt by him.

_That’s all._

After crying herself to sleep one night, she woke up the next day furious with herself, throwing her tablet across the room, breaking it, and feeling stupid for being so caught up in it all. She’d resigned herself to get a grip, pick herself up and carry on.

She shook her head, hand tight on the cold metal under her hand, trying to get rid of the memory because today was a different day, wasn’t it?

Chinen-san had talked to her yesterday, and delivered the message from Ryosuke, and didn’t she resolve to  _try_? Didn’t she? And Saya had been so encouraging, she really helped her see all of the possibilities and how silly it was to not try–and she did promise her to try! Didn’t she?

_I did. I promised._

She wouldn’t break that promise to Saya, the promise to try. 

 _I won’t do it. I won’t break that promise._  

_I don’t mean to._

“Hello…”

She jumped, squealing when the voice spoke behind her, one hand slapping against her fluttering heart, the other covering her mouth, as she turned to find Ryosuke standing there, hands in his pocket, shuffling his feet, eyes cast to the ground between them.

“Sorry! I—I didn’t mean to scare you,” he murmured, and she laughed, shaking her head.

“Oh, gosh, I think I just had a heart attack,” she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly, calming her nerves, “It’s okay…wh-what are you doing here, Yamada-san?”

His eyes lifted to catch hers, and she didn’t miss the flash of irritation moving across his features before he schooled it, “You can call me Ryosuke.”

She shook her head without even meaning to, “I—I don’t…I.”

He stepped up to the gate beside her, looking curiously into the park, “It’s fine, you don’t need to now, whenever you’re ready but…I don’t mind, that’s all.”

“O-okay,” she focused beyond the gate, wondering what he was thinking about her— _damn it_ —the park.

“I’m sorry I was so forward the last time I saw you,” he glanced over to her, then quickly back into the park, “I shouldn’t have…I should have not been so demanding, and I’m sorry if I was too familiar with you…calling you Elliot and all….”

She hummed, not sure it was something she wanted him to apologize for, because on her own, without his words that day she certainly wouldn’t be standing here speaking to him right now.

She heard him take a deep breath before speaking, “I guess I’d been thinking about you so much…I just felt…like I knew you better than I did…so…it just flew out of my mouth…”

He shifted a bit, staring at her, tilting his head down, “Please accept my apology.”

She wanted to tell him that if anyone was going to be accused of feeling like they knew the other better than they truly did—it would be her, hands down, after the exhaustive amount of research into his idol persona, but she just nodded, “It’s…it really is okay…I’m not sure—it is…just…“

_Stupid, stupid words…PLEASE._

“I don’t mind if you call me Elliot.”

There, she’d said it, and she meant it…and she didn’t care if it made sense to anyone else, because in just such a short time they’d passed some wall, no, they didn’t pass it, they knocked through it with a sledgehammer to be standing where they were. They weren’t  _trying_  to be normal, not at all, they were trying to be something else because they  _were_  something else, she supposed, and she wasn’t going to put limitations on it, if she was in, she was going  _all in_.

Plus…he may be capable of producing some of the most beautiful lyrical creations in the universe, but nothing, absolutely nothing sounded more breathtakingly melodic than her name on his lips.

_Nothing._

His eyes widened, and she felt a heat rising to her cheeks because it felt to her like in that moment he could read her thoughts and despite not really feeling embarrassed, it still felt too intimate to her, so she turned, shyly looking away from him to stare at the flowers slowly being strangled out by weeds.

It was quiet for a while and she imagined that he was trying to figure her out, and she wished she had a map to hand to him to guide him through her personality—to offer him insight like she’d gained through her search.

“What are you doing here?” He asked finally, curious about why she’d approached the park. He’d been waiting for her, for several hours, because he had missed one promised day with her, and he intended to find out, discover what was going to happen between them after the letter he’d written, and he didn’t have the patience to wait another day, let alone another hour.

“Ah…well, the owner of the property passed away, and his family didn’t intend to maintain it until after all of the affairs were sorted—so…well, I have been keeping it tended since then.”

She took a deep breath, disappointment in her words, “But…I got really busy and I haven’t been able to work on it, and now it’s so…it’s so messed up, I don’t think I’ll be able to get it under control…”

She tilted her head, closing her eyes to go over her schedule, “I won’t even be able to come to work on it until Friday…it will be even worse then.”

Ryosuke hummed, glancing at her and frowning when he saw how unhappy she was, “I’m sorry, is there anything I can do?”

Her eyes darted to him, wide and curious, “Wh—what? No! Of course, thank you, you don’t have any responsibility here!”

He nodded, wondering at the phrasing she’d used, wondering at how quickly she dismissed him, uncertain of what it meant.

“Can I walk you to work?”

She glanced down at her watch, still having a bit of time to spare, “I don’t have to be there for another hour…would you…it’s okay if you don’t, but would you like to…see the park?”

He smiled brightly and she felt like she needed to squint because it was so dazzling, “I’d love that!”

“O-okay,” she reached into her pocket to pull out her keys, carefully unlocking the gates and opening them, letting him step through before she locked them back.

As they walked through the park, there was a comfortable silence between them, and she was able to take a deep breath, in the environment that she was so comfortable in, to her, it felt as if he belonged there too.

She took him through the paths, circling around the park, pointing out all of the interesting features, showing him the butterfly field, and as they passed a wall of trees he gestured to it, “What’s past there?”

Elliot glanced to the trees, then shrugged, “I haven’t ever looked at a map, so don’t hold me to it, but if I understood correctly, that is also land that the benefactor owned. His family owned almost all of this region and have sold it off bit by bit over the course of many years. I don’t know what is there, but I honestly think it’s just more woods. About 50 acres worth, if I am remembering right.”

He stared at the wall of trees, then nodded, “That’s amazing that there is that much forest so close to the city! No wonder this area is so peaceful, the trees block a lot of noise.”

“They do! It makes it very serene here!”

She’d led him to the fountain and they sat on the bench there. Her eyes growing wide when he shifted to turn his body toward her, his expression serious.

“I meant what I said in the letter, Elliot,” his voice was firm, absolute, “If you don’t want to…try to be anything else than friends…we can just be—be friends, alright? I’d, I mean, it’s true, I said it that I would let that happen, I could be happy to j-just be your friend. I just…I just don’t want to not be…”

He faded off, his hand rising to pinch the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes, shaking his head, and a small quiet growl was issued, then taking a deep breath he looked at her again, “I suck at this.”

She couldn’t help it, she couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up out of her against her will, but he was so  _earnest!_  He was trying so hard, she could tell from every part of his presence that he was sincerely wanting to say the right words, the words he thought she needed to hear.

He laughed too, and something in the air changed, the tension suddenly released, and she reached over, placing her hand on his hand resting on the bench between them, and his eyes looked comically large as he stared at them and then looked up to her, in wonderment.

“R-Ryosuke,” she took a deep breath, “…I want to try.”

She nodded, a sharp nod, “I want to take the risk.”

She watched as his body expanded with a deep breath, his expression still uncertain, still unsure, and she squeezed his fingers, trying to convey what she meant, “We’ve went about this…all wrong, you know? We’ve already twisted it all up into a great big knot…we’ve done things so chaotic and out of order and we’re just…we’re a real mess…”

He laughed softly, nervously, nodding, as she continued, “B-but…Ryosuke,  _you were right_.”

She took a deep breath, swallowing down her nerves, “There  _is_  something here.”

He stared at her, and for a moment it felt like all the world faded away, his expression so soft, so full of a gentle care, such a countenance of genuine, beautiful affection, that she wanted to cry, because she’d spent her life reading sappy romance novels that described this face, this expression he was making, and she never imagined in her wildest dreams someone would look at her that way. 

He moved, his body shifting forward and she felt every fiber of her body trembling because he was in her bubble, he was so close, and she could smell him, and it was so warm to her. A scent that seemed to fit in the environment, bittersweet fruit, and vanilla, and amber, and some softer notes that made her mind drift to the ocean, and flowers…it wafted through the air and she wanted to lean forward and inhale deeply to make sure she remembered the scent—but her entire being was screaming to run away because he was so close, too close.

His hand lifted, pushing her hair behind her ear, and she shivered, she cursed her body for being so transparent, then slowly his hand moved, his fingers light on her skin as it glided along her jaw, gently cupping her face, his thumb stroking across the tender skin on her cheek, his expression unreadable, but then there was a twinkle, a light in his eyes, and he grinned, speaking quickly, “You’ll find, Dr. Meadows, that I am always right.”

It took her a moment to process what he’d said, his closeness making her confused and overwhelmed and then she blinked, once, twice, and then she shoved him back playfully, “Oh my God,” she laughed, “is  _that_  the kind of person you are!? A tease!?”

He was laughing too then, nodding, his hands clapping together softly in front of him, “Certainly!”

Glancing down at his watch, he frowned, “I think I should deliver you to your work—I don’t want to be blamed for making you late.”

She realized how quickly time had passed, regretful that it had, and they made their way out of the park to the clinic. Though the walk getting there was fun as she told him about the different shops and people she knew on the streets, and at one point, his hand hit hers, just a brush against it, and then, her pinkie finger was caught in his, and he held her hand that way all the way to the clinic. She didn’t know how wonderful it could feel to just have a simple connection like that to another person, and was sad when his hand slowly fell away as they approached the door.

An awkward feeling swelled up around them when they reached the door, and for a moment, the same Ryosuke who had been on the sidewalk earlier was there again, looking down, feet shuffling, and hands in his pockets, “C-could, Elliot, do you, th-think that I could I take you to dinner?”

The words were soft, small, and she wondered if he actually thought she would say no at this point…and then she realized he certainly  _did_  think that—remembering Chinen-san’s words from the day before.

_“None of us at Johnny’s has the slightest idea of how to be in relationships. We don’t even know how to properly talk to women or date them or anything. We are all wanting to learn. There’s not a single part of Ryosuke that would take you lightly.”_

_“_ _He might not go about things the most normal way.”_

She looked at him, the words resonating in her mind, and suddenly, she felt strong, felt sure, and she knew it was okay to just say the truth, to make sure he was sure so he wouldn’t be afraid, so he would be on the same page. Because she had no idea what she was doing either!

She’d never dated, never even saw a guy as anything more than a study partner or associate—never entertained any ideas of romance or relationship—she had no idea what she was doing, and probably would be the last person in the universe to look to for some idea of a normal way to approach a relationship given the fact that most of her source materials were written by the legendary The Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Has Christian Andersen, Joseph Jacobs, Andrew Lang, and of course Walt Disney.

Nope, she didn’t have any real understanding of how thing should be done, rather, she just knew what she felt, and being honest seemed like the right way to handle anything moving forward. 

_It feels right._

She stepped forward, and she saw it, the way he flinched, wanting to back up, because he clearly didn’t know if it was okay to stand that close, to be that close to her, his eyes darting around the area like he was worried someone was going to admonish him.

_They really did ruin you guys, didn’t they?_

She looked up at him, smiling, trying to make sure he saw that she was at complete peace, hoping to push the feeling out into him, and she spoke, the words a whisper, “I want to go with you anywhere you want to take me.”

His eyes were wide, unblinking as she continued, “I want to know—everything about you, Ryosuke—I want to know who you  _really_  are. I want you to take me to dinner. I want you to take me anywhere. I want to spend time with you, I want to see where you’re ticklish, I want to know what it feels like to hold your hand. I want to know what your favorite foods are, what color looks the best on you, what your favorite song is, how you fold clothes.”

His expression was still caught in the uncertainty, and she reached forward, grabbing his wrists, and he pulled his hands out of his pockets, grasping hers when she moved them down to hold them, “Ryosuke, I don’t have the most remote, the most foggiest idea of what I’m doing either.”

He nodded, understanding, and tilted his head at her confession, “But…isn’t it okay if we just…do what feels right instead of overthinking? Because…overthinking is why we messed up everything from the start, isn’t it?”

She shook her head then, frowning, pain crossing her face instantly, and then her eyes were sad, sorrowful when she looked at him, “Th-that was all on me. I did…not you, and I’m sorry, for making you hurt, and making you wait, and you were far more patient, far more devo—“

His finger shot up to rest across her lips, “Shh, Shh,” he murmured, shaking his head, smiling a gentle smile that made her knees weak, “Don’t. Don’t do that, that’s done, it’s over, and like you just said…we can just do what feels right for the two of us.”

He nodded, and then his hand moved, and she couldn’t breathe, his hand moving across her shoulder and then down her arm as he moved forward, his shoulder pressing against hers for a moment, then reaching behind her and she gasped, not sure what he was doing, and then he was smiling mischievously as he drew his hand forward, holding the cell phone that had been her back pocket in his hand.

He clicked the button on the side, the screen lighting up and he smiled when he saw the image of a dog on the lock screen. She watched him curiously, as he stared at the screen, and then he clicked buttons, and she gasped when the phone unlocked, his eyes shifting up to look at her, and then back down at the phone as he opened her contacts, typing quickly.

“H—how did you do that!?”

He finished putting his information into her phone, then turned it back around, the screen lit up with her puppy’s picture, he nodded down to the phone, and she stared at it for a moment before looking back up at him, confused.

“Your dog’s name is Sassy,” he shrugged.

She couldn’t understand, taking the phone from his hand, staring at the screen, and then looking back up at him, amused and teasing, “Are you stalking me?”

He laughed, a deep belly laugh, nodding his head, “I swear, I wasn’t—okay, I mean it! I know we all really didn’t handle things correctly, but I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was overstepping!”

“I’m kidding, Ryosuke, calm down, I just…. how?”

“You told me the day we met, about your dog, that her name’s Sassy,” he murmured, smiling, his shoulders drawing up into a shrug.

“But th-that was  _months_  ago! It was…you didn’t even  _know_  me then! You’d just met me that day!”

He shifted forward and she drew her hands up between them, instinct wanting to push him back, and his hands moved to rest, like a whisper on her waist, and whatever softness there was in his fingers, his voice was firm, it was determined, “You should know this, right up front, Elliot…”

He paused, measuring whether she was really listening or too overwhelmed by the closeness to hear him, convinced she was understanding, he continued, “From the moment you walked into that room, I’ve paid attention to every single facet of who you are. I remember  _everything_.”

She swallowed hard, knowing it was truth, and knowing that she was much the same, having replayed every interaction between them over and over again, so she nodded.

He moved, ever so slowly, so as to not startle her, and he pressed a soft, warm kiss on her cheek, his breath gentle on her cheek as he closed his eyes, and she bit her lip to keep from sighing out loud, his fingers tightening on her waist for a moment before he released her and stepped back, her heart beating out of her chest, and her hands grabbing her phone tightly to keep them from shaking.

He grinned, and it was a feeling coming across the distance between them, a kind of sweetness she couldn’t place, and then he winked, “You have two minutes before your shift starts.”

She had no idea how he kept track of time so precisely, but she nodded, dumbfounded, his words soft on her skin, then he tapped the phone in her hand, grinning, because he caught on fast to how unnerved she was, saw immediately that she was highly effected by him, and he liked it. Sure, he was just as effected by her, but he was a trained actor. He was good at hiding it, but she was utterly and completely, hopelessly transparent.

When she didn’t acknowledge the phone, he grabbed her hands in his, shaking them softly, “Elliot, send me your schedule,” he nodded his head to the phone, and she snapped her jaw shut.

He laughed, he couldn’t help it, she was so adorable all discombobulated by him, and he reached forward to the tag hanging off her bag, turning her with his other arm toward the door, as he slid the card through the slot, the light indicating the door was unlocked, opening it quickly.

He wasn’t particularly surprised to see Saya standing there holding a stack of pink clothes in her hands, she seemed to take care of Elliot from the moment she walked into the clinic as far as he could tell, something he greatly appreciated. That said, Saya most definitely appeared shocked to see him with Elliot. He couldn’t help but laugh, wondering if this is the effect he had on everyone or just these girls—because he didn’t make a habit of caring about other people—at least not in a relationship, ‘I want to understand you’ kind of way—so it was all very new to him.

He released the card and it snapped back to her waist, his hand pushing on the small of her back to guide her through the door. She turned, rapidly, her eyes wide, as if she had so many other things to say and she might not ever get to say them and he understood, he felt it too.

“Have a good day, Dr. Meadows,” he winked at her then, and she felt it radiate all the way down to her toes, “I look forward to your message.”

And then he turned to walk back down the alley to the main road, and she was leaning out the door watching him go, jumping when Saya spoke, not realizing she was also watching him walk away, “What in the…”

“You aren’t going to believe it!” Elliot laughed lightly, smiling when he leaned back around the corner to wink again, clearly knowing that they’d both been staring at him as he left, moving into the clinic and closing the door.

_It really is unbelievable._

Elliot grabbed the clothes out of Saya’s hands, moving inside to the screen to change, and Saya watched her, then closed the door, “Well, are you going to tell me?”

“There’s not much to tell…he walked me to work today,” Elliot spoke from the other side of the screen, then stepped out to put her clothes up and took the clipboard out of Saya’s hand, glancing over the schedule for the day.

“He…he came to your house again?”

“No, he met me at the park,” Elliot shrugged, “I mean, I think he feels guilty for the house thing really,” she couldn’t help but laugh, sighing softly, “He was waiting for me.”

“Wow, I just can’t beli—“

Her words were cut off by the message tone from Elliot’s cell phone, and she reached to grab it out of the pants pocket where she’d left it, quickly opening it, her eyes growing wide, as her cheeks grew red with embarrassment.

Saya stepped beside her to read the message, her mouth popping open when she saw it.

* * *

**Ryosuke:**   You still haven’t sent your schedule to me.

* * *

Elliot quickly typed a response…

* * *

**Elliot:** I haven’t even finished getting dressed yet!

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m turning around and coming back…

* * *

Saya squealed and Elliot reached over to smack her arm, laughing, “Oh my God, he’s….it’s too much!”

Saya smiled, nodding her head, “I think it’s just right.”

She left the room, telling her over her shoulder, “Your first patient is in ten minutes, so get your flirting done before then!”

Elliot nodded without looking up, smiling as a new message arrived.

* * *

**Ryosuke:**   That was a joke, I’d  **love**  to come back, but I have to go to the studio today. Still, I’m not kidding about the schedule.

 **Elliot:**  One minute.

 **Elliot:**  Okay, this week’s schedule:

 **Elliot:**  Today 11-8, Tomorrow: 8-5 but I have dinner with my parents, Friday: I’m off but will be working at the park all day, but maybe later in the evening? On Saturday, I work from 8-3 so we could maybe do something after work?

 **Ryosuke:**  Hmmm, okay, Saturday, don’t make plans, k?

 **Ryosuke:**   (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*)

 **Elliot:**  Okay!

* * *

She stared at the screen, waiting, for what she had no idea—and she started to walk, guessing he’d maybe made it to work and was caught up in things, she jumped when her phone indicated there was a new message.

* * *

**Ryosuke:**  Thank you for giving me a chance, Elliot, I am really happy to be making plans with you.

 **Ryosuke:**   o(^▽^)o

* * *

She did a little happy dance in place, quickly typing back.

* * *

**Elliot:**  Thank you for being patient, I’m super happy too!

 **Elliot:**   ◦°˚\\(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m at work, but I want to sit here in my car and talk to you longer.

 **Ryosuke:**   ( .. )

 **Elliot:**  Me too, I have my first patient in three minutes!

 **Elliot:**   (´Д` )

 **Ryosuke:**  Sigh. I guess we should go be responsible adults and not love-struck teenagers.

 **Ryosuke:**   o(╥﹏╥)o

* * *

Her heart squeezed at the word love and then it fluttered wildly as it rolled around in her mind.

* * *

**Elliot:**  Okay, I’ll be good then, you have a good day and I will talk with you later! I keep my phone in my locker so it won’t be with me today.

 **Elliot:**   (￣▽￣)ノ

 **Ryosuke:**  You have a good day too! Take care of YOU while you take care of all of the furry ones too!

 **Ryosuke:**  (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

* * *

Saya had left the room, running over to Mako to whisper what had happened and then quickly went to the empty counseling room, opening her phone and tapping out a message:

 **Saya:**  OMG OMG OMG it happened! It happened!

 **Chinen:**  What!? What happened!?!

 **Chinen:**  TELL ME SAYA TELL ME!

 **Saya:**   Yamada walked her to work this morning!

 **Chinen:**  WAHHHHHAHHAHHFHHFHSHF YEEYEYYEYYSYYYSYYYSYSSSSSSSS OMG OMG YAAASSSS!!!!

 **Chinen:**   (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

 **Saya:**  I KNOW!

 **Saya:**  Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ 

 **Chinen:**   WE DID IT!

 **Chinen:**  ♡(*´∀｀*)人(*´∀｀*)♡

 **Chinen:** I knew all of our devious plans of  ~~world domination~~ –er…making those two fall madly in love would work! 

 **Chinen:** ヽ(*´∀`)ﾉﾞ

 **Saya:**  Hahahaha Yeah! We did good!!!

 **Saya:**  They were so stupidly cute I can’t hardly handle it!

 **Chinen:**  Okay, Ryosuke will be here in a bit and I’ll let you know if he says anything!

 **Saya:**  Okay! I’ll let you know if Elliot does!

 **Saya:**  o(^∀^*)o

 **Chinen:**  Hey, Saya?

 **Saya:**  Hmm?

 **Chinen:**  Go out with me?

 **Chinen:**  ( ื▿ ืʃƪ)

 **Saya:**  No can do!

 **Chinen:**  But WHY NOT!?

 **Chinen:**   (⊙.☉)7

 **Saya:**  OMG CHINEN-SAN! I have had to tell you no everyday since we met! No!

 **Chinen:**  But…WHYyyyyyyyyyyy?!?!

 **Chinen:**   ｡ﾟヽ(ﾟ´Д｀)ﾉﾟ｡ 

 **Saya:**  I wish you’d stop asking me! It hurts my feelings to tell you no everyday!

 **Chinen:**  Then STOP SAYING NO!

 **Chinen:**  （；¬＿¬)

 **Chinen:**   That’s the easiest solution you could get. 

 **Chinen:**   STOP SAYING NO!!!!

 **Saya:**  I told you already!

 **Chinen:**   Oh, I know what you told me…you’re ‘ _too busy_ ’ to think about dating someone.

 **Chinen:**   <(｀^´)>

 **Saya:**  I am too busy.

 **Chinen:**  No,  **I’m busy** , compared to my life you live a life of leisure.

 **Saya:**  Kiss my ass!

 **Chinen:**  OHHHHHH  **Now we’re talking!**

 **Chinen:**   ～(^з^)-♡

 **Saya:**  I’m turning my phone off.

 **Chinen:**  Fine. I’ll text if Yama-chan says something.

 **Saya:**  Chinen-san, Please, don’t be upset, I’m glad that we are friends!

 **Chinen:**  That’s fine. 

 **Chinen:**   _For now._

 **Chinen:**  At least you could call me Yuri. 

 **Saya:**  Argh. I’ll think about it.

 **Chinen:**  ╭( ･ㅂ･)و ̑̑ ＂ 

 **Saya:**   ¯\\_(⌣̯̀⌣́)_/¯

 **Chinen:**   ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡ 

* * *

When Elliot had finally left work she was exhausted, actually letting Saya drive her home because she was so tired. She made it upstairs, letting Sassy out of her crate, and loving on her, sitting on the couch so she could be still for a minute. She remembered she hadn’t turned her cellphone on since that morning after Ryosuke left her at the clinic.

She grabbed it out of her pocket, pushing the button and waiting for it to turn on. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the message count, quickly opening them.

* * *

**Ryosuke:**  So, It’s lunch time. I wonder, do you make your own lunch or do you buy lunch from take out, or are you one of those types who skips lunch because you’re too busy?

 **Ryosuke:**  I don’t skip meals.

 **Ryosuke:**   (๑╹ڡ╹๑) I eat…a lot. All the time lol

 **Ryosuke:**  Apparently, Chii-chan says that you need proof.

**Ryosuke:**

**Ryosuke:**  That’s the catering table, Johnny’s usually has a local restaurant bring our lunches in. It’s a huge table, and it’s got dozens of them on it. No, those aren’t mine, though, I could probably eat two of them!

 **Ryosuke:**  Gotta go back to work now. 

**Ryosuke:  (,, ･∀･)ﾉ゛**

**Ryosuke:** I really hope you do eat lunch.

**Ryosuke: ヾ(*´∀｀*)ﾉ**

**Ryosuke:** Hey, Dr. Meadows, this is Okamoto Keito. I just wanted to say hi, shhh, Yama-chan is recording and doesn’t know I’m writing to you. So, how are you? Good? I wondered, how many animals do you own yourself? How many do you treat a week?

 **Ryosuke:**  

**Ryosuke:**  Look, Yama-chan is working really hard! Let me see if I can figure out how to send a video!

 **Ryosuke:**  

**Ryosuke:**  Ahh I did it! I did it!!!

 **Ryosuke:**  

**Ryosuke:**  This is me and Yutti!

**Ryosuke:**   He says hi by the way! We’re all really happy for Yama-chan! Please take good care of him!

 **Ryosuke:**  

**Ryosuke:**  Chii-chan and Dai-chan both wanted me to send a picture of them to you. They also both say ‘hi’, though Chii-chan said to say ‘you’re welcome’. I don’t know what he means by that. 

 **Ryosuke:**  Yama-chan has talked about you non-stop since he met you! He really likes you.

 **Ryosuke:**  

****Ryosuke:**  **The song he just started recording up there is a love song. He wrote it. It’s really pretty. I bet he’ll really want to kill me for saying this, but you should ask him to show you the lyrics. 

 ** **Ryosuke:**   **You know, for reasons. Not cause he wrote it about  _someone specific_ or anything…but….you know. Without saying it directly, you get it right? He can’t be mad if I didn’t actually say it. Right?

 **Ryosuke:**  He is checking some lyrics…and eating. You know…he eats a lot. Like if you cook for him you should probably make enough for three people, cause he eats for two people!

**Ryosuke:**

**Ryosuke:**  He’s back recording now! He just reached the bridge part that is super special…

 **Ryosuke:**  

****Ryosuke:**  **We don’t mean to make him feel weird or stuff, even though we are because we’re making such a big deal about all of this, but you know, he’s never been so serious about anything like this before, about anyone ever before, and it’s sweet to see him like this. You know? 

****Ryosuke:**  **That smile…that’s about you I think, I mean, I know it is…it’s a different one, and it’s only been there since you, and all any of us would ever want is for him to smile!

 ** **Ryosuke:**  **You made him real happy and you were ignoring him for a long time and he was still happy at just thinking there was a chance with you. Today, he’s like so excited and happy and has not stopped smiling because of you!

 ** **Ryosuke:**  **Thanks for making him so happy Dr. Meadows! He deserves it he is

 **Ryosuke:**  Uh-oh, I think Yama-chan just realized I’m recording on his phone!

 **Ryosuke:**  

****Ryosuke:**   ヽ ( ꒪д꒪ )ﾉ EEEEE  
**

**Ryosuke:**  Gotta go! BYE BYE!

 **Ryosuke:**   For the love of…I’m sorry. Really.

 **Ryosuke:**   <(｀^´)>

 **Ryosuke:**   Those guys!

 **Ryosuke:**   Well, maybe it’s better you find this out now…being a part of my life pretty much means they are a part of your life too. In particular, Keito and Chii-chan. I’m real sorry!

 **Ryosuke:**   I’ll understand if this changes things.

 **Ryosuke:**   ( .. )

 **Ryosuke:**   I lied. I really wouldn’t, not at all. Please don’t believe what I just said.

 **Ryosuke:**   (╯•﹏•╰)

 **Ryosuke:**   Please don’t change anything, not a single thing unless it’s to be happier.

 **Ryosuke:**   （●´∀｀)ノ♡

 **Ryosuke:**   Gotta go work again. I’m taking my phone with me this time! haha

 **Ryosuke:**   Yama-chan left his phone laying on the mixing board!

 ** **Ryosuke:**  **This is Chii-chan. I’ll send something for you! 

 **** ** **Ryosuke:****  OMG Keito won’t leave me alone–he wants me to say  **“it’s about you”**  for some reason!? I have no idea, but he said as long as I type it– **HE**  can’t get in trouble. Hopefully this makes some kind of sense to you!

 ** **Ryosuke:****  Here’s what I was going to send!

 **Ryosuke:**  

**Ryosuke:**  He’s a dork. Are you sure that you want him and not one of the other guys? There’s a lot of us to choose from! 

 **Ryosuke:**  ヾ(๑’౪`๑)ﾉﾞ

 **Ryosuke:**   He’s a cute dork though, right? I have always thought that Yama-chan was the cutest guy in the world. I totally know what you see in him. 

 **Ryosuke:**  That sounded weird. I’m not interested in him. I have my sights set on someone of the female persuasion.

 **Ryosuke:**   Speaking of  _someone_ , has Saya mentioned me at all? Anything? You don’t have to tell me, of course, but….well,  **DID SHE!?**

 **Ryosuke:**   ٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶ Please tell me!!!

 **Ryosuke:**  Let’s see…waiting to be called is so boring. Did you know that he plays the saxophone? He’s working in studio today with it!

 **Ryosuke:**  

**Ryosuke:**  He’s so talented, next to me he’s the most talented guy in Jump. hehe

 **Ryosuke:**  He’s almost done and I’m next so have a good day, and please tell Saya I said ‘hi!’ and…I dunno, you should encourage her to give me a chance like the kind you’re giving Yama-chan. 

 **Ryosuke:**    _Please._

 **Ryosuke:**   (‘-’*)

 **Ryosuke:**    You know, I feel like I should apologize, but given the nature of what this is probably going to be like moving forward, I think I’d be apologizing  _constantly_. We’re…close. I don’t think to hide my phone from them, because none of us have really had anything private we didn’t share. 

 **Ryosuke:**    It will take me a little bit to get used to this. I’m sorry if they bother you though! Hmmm…you’re still working! I am leaving here in a few minutes. I have to go to my Mom’s house and then home. 

 **Ryosuke:**    My Mom is making me dinner

 **Ryosuke:**    ＼（＾▽＾）／ 

 **Ryosuke:**    How do you eat when you get off work at eight?

 **Ryosuke:**    Talk later!

 **Ryosuke:**   (>^_^)><(^o^<)

* * *

Elliot couldn’t stop the smile that blossomed on her face, the entire conversation one of the cutest things she’d ever seen in her life, and she quickly typed back a response.

* * *

**Elliot:** Please don’t worry! I enjoyed their conversation, even if I didn’t see it until right now. 

 **Elliot:**  Please don’t kill Keito. 

 **Elliot:**  They all care so much about you. It makes me really happy and they are all quite entertaining and I loved the pictures and videos! It’s nice to see the other side of how you work! I usually pack a lunch but today had to get carry out because I forgot.

 **Elliot:** I’m eating dinner right now, going to go put some ramen into the microwave, shower, eat and then off to bed for me. I’m super tired.

 ** **Ryosuke:**    **What? You’re having instant ramen for dinner after having a take out lunch? 

 **Ryosuke:**    ヽ(。_°)ノ 

 ** **Ryosuke:**    **Not good. Don’t do that.

 ** **Ryosuke:**  **Hello?

 ** **Ryosuke:**   **Elliot?!

 ** **Ryosuke:**    **Hmmm…did you already go to shower?

 ** **Ryosuke:**    **Don’t eat the ramen!

 **Ryosuke:**    ｡･ﾟﾟ･(>д<)･ﾟﾟ･｡

* * *

After a nice, long, hot shower, she felt a little better, heading to the kitchen and pulling her ramen out of the microwave, and then checking her phone.

* * *

**Elliot:**   You worry too much! It’s good!

**Ryosuke:**     OMG ELLIOT!  **DO NOT EAT THAT RAMEN!**

 **Elliot:**   LOL what are you so worked up about!?

 **Ryosuke:**    That isn’t real food. 

 **Elliot:**  I eat this all the time.

 **Ryosuke:**  Oh God, I swear,  a tear just fell down my cheek, you’re killing me here. I’m going to dehydrate from all the tears.

 **Ryosuke:**   ｡ﾟヽ(ﾟ´Д｀)ﾉﾟ｡ 

 **Elliot:**   One cup of ramen is not going to kill me, you need to calm down.

* * *

She jumped when the phone started ringing and she quickly answered it, Ryosuke’s voice crisp and clear, if not a little out of breath, “Do not eat that ramen!”

She laughed, shaking her head, “Ryosuke! What in the world? I eat this all the time!”

He groaned loudly, and she felt like he had to be shaking his head, “Dear God, I just…if you do, please don’t tell me, just…don’t eat it, okay?”

She huffed, frustrated, “Well, I mean…I’m kinda starving here!”

He laughed, “I understand, just…Open your door.”

“W-What!?”

She could hear the smile in his voice, “I’m coming up your stairs, open your door! My hands are full!”

“Wh-what have you–what are you doing?”

She rushed over to the door, commanding that Sassy stay, phone still to her ear, pulling it open and looking down the hallway to see him turning the corner up the steps, heading toward her.

“Ryosuke! What in the world are you doing!?”

“Bringing you  _real_  food!” he laughed when he reached her door, gesturing his head, “Phone, please?”

She reached out to take the phone that had been pressed between his ear and shoulder, disconnecting the call. 

“Wh-what in the world did you do?” She couldn’t have been more shocked, his arms holding a large paper bag in them.

“I’m here with my Mom’s permission this time,” he laughed and she couldn’t help but laugh too since he’d told her how his Mom had responded to him coming to her apartment before.

“I’m just delivering, my Mom made it, she insisted that I bring it to you when she found out you weren’t eating real food, so if you have an issue,” he smiled broadly, leaning over to kiss her cheek quickly, a bright blush tinging his skin pink when he drew back, “you can take it up with her.”

“I-I–Ok-kay,” Elliot was at a loss for words, completely dumbfounded, and she just watched him helplessly until she finally realized how rude she was being, “C-come in!”

“I’d better not…” he frowned, and she could tell he was conflicted, “I have an early day tomorrow, and I feel like if I come in, I’ll want to stay.”

His eyes drifted over her like a caress, and she felt her skin heat when she realized she was wearing her kitten pajamas, the kind that have shorts and a matching top, and nothing else. His eyes snapped to hers, clearly amused at her realization, smiling, “Cute pajamas.”

“Shut up, I wasn’t expecting company–I was going to bed!”

He laughed lightly, and she shook her head, smiling brightly at him, “You could visit for a little while, eat with me?”

“I ate with my Mom, and no, I think you don’t understand,” he lifted the bag, holding it out to her, and she stepped forward to take it from his hands, when he spoke, his eyes serious, “I would want to  _stay_.”

She nodded, confused, and then he’d leaned around the bag to kiss her cheek again, turning to walk back down the hallway, and she called out, “Be safe going home!”

“I will, don’t worry!”

“And thank you! Thank your Mom!”

“I will!”

She’d set the food out on her counter, staring at it and then she felt it, the tears streaming down her face, because she’d never had anyone who cared what she ate. It was such a new and unique feeling, and she was overwhelmed by it. 

After eating the delicious meal Ryosuke’s Mom had sent her, she made a mental note to send her some flowers or something in appreciation, she’d crawled into bed, turned off her light and started to drift off to sleep, but then, picked up her phone. 

Her hands were shaking as she typed the message, not sure why, but just still feeling very sensitive and overwhelmed by the entire day, but she needed to say something,  _wanted_  to say something.

* * *

**Elliot:**  Goodnight, Ryosuke!

 **Elliot:**  ♡〜٩( ╹▿╹ )۶〜♡

* * *

_I just typed hearts in an emoticon to a guy._

* * *

**Ryosuke:**  I just pulled into my driveway! I was going to text you to tell you that I was home!  ♡ ♡

 **Elliot:**  Oh, I’m glad you made it home safely! I’m sorry you couldn’t stay for a little while.

 **Ryosuke:**  No worries, Elliot…

 **Ryosuke:**   I still don’t think you really understand.

 **Elliot:**  What’s that?

 **Elliot:**   (⊙.☉)7

 **Ryosuke:**  I would want to  _stay_.

 **Ryosuke:**   (｡◝‿◜｡)

 **Elliot:**  Longer than you should since you have to get up early tomorrow?

 **Elliot:**   (⊙_☉)

 **Ryosuke:**  No.

 **Ryosuke:**   ｡ﾟ.(*♡´◡` 人´◡` ♡*)ﾟ °・

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m concerned I might want to  _stay. **Stay.**_

 **Ryosuke:**  (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )

 **Elliot:**  What…

* * *

Elliot gasped when she realized what he was saying, pulling the blanket up to her neck and sinking down in her pillow–he meant he wanted to…stay.  ** _Stay_**. Her cheeks flamed red and she was completely alone. She felt so stupid and naive and she kicked her feet under her blanket, trying to not feel so flustered.

_You’re alone in your room for goodness sake, calm down!_

* * *

**Elliot:**  OMG  (⌒_⌒;)

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to be so forward.

 **Ryosuke:**  Well, I did, not gonna lie, but I  _shouldn’t have_.

* * *

She admonished herself, because this was _normal!_  It was okay to care about each other and even more okay to feel these kinds of feelings, and why shouldn’t they? Didn’t they agree to tell the truth!? And he was apologizing for telling the truth, the very last thing she wanted him to do.

_Well, I can do this, I can tell the truth too._

* * *

**Elliot:**  Be careful what you say, Ryosuke!

 **Elliot:**  (ɔ ˘⌣˘)˘⌣˘ c)

 **Elliot:**  I might have just let you stay.

 **Elliot:**  ♡〜٩( ╹▿╹ )۶〜♡

 **Ryosuke:**  Now who’s being a tease!?

 **Elliot:**   _Who said I was teasing?_

 **Elliot:**   ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 **Ryosuke:**  You’re killing me here…

 **Ryosuke:**  (° o°)!

 **Elliot:**  Okay, okay, you know, you should go to sleep, I want you to have a good day tomorrow! I’m sorry for teasing you, but not teasing you kind of teasing you!

 **Elliot:**   (人-ω-)｡o.ﾟ｡*･♡Good Night♡･*｡ﾟo｡(-ω-人)

 **Ryosuke:**  Sleep sweet, Elliot!

 **Ryosuke:**   ( ˘ ³˘) (-, – )…zzzZZZ

 **Elliot:**  You sleep sweet too, Ryosuke!

 **Elliot:**   (Ɔ ˘⌣˘)♥(˘⌣˘ C)

* * *

She slept better that night than she thought she ever had, her dreams filled with beautiful words, and melodies and the boy who had come into her life like a whirlwind and stole her heart, and when she woke up the next morning she found a new message waiting for her.

* * *

**Ryosuke:**   I spent the entire night tossing and turning from  _entirely too real dreams_. I blame you and your teasing! Have a good day, Elliot!  

 **Ryosuke:**   (Ɔ ˘⌣˘)♥(˘⌣˘ C) 

 **Ryosuke:**   See you soon!!! ox


	7. Starting to Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Exam Room 5  
> Pairing/Relationship: Yamada Ryosuke x OC/Elliot  
> Rating: PG-15  
> Warnings: Language, Sick/Dying Animals  
> Genre: Romance/Fluff, slight Angst
> 
> Teaser:
> 
> “Ryosuke, I want to believe in those things, you make me want to believe in them,” she whispered, “but...it’s hard...I just...it’s hard, that’s all.”
> 
> She let him lift her chin, his eyes soft as he held her own, “Hey, I am the last person to tell you that you can’t be cautious or a cynic, you know? I see a lot of the realities in the world, but there are still some things I believe in.”
> 
> “I want to believe in them, too,” Elliot whispered, smiling when he leaned forward to kiss her red nose.
> 
> “I’ll make you believe in them,” he whispered...

 

* * *

 

Despite their efforts, as it turned out, Ryosuke and Elliot were unable to have their first date as planned—Elliot was called into work for an emergency surgery this time, instead of it being Ryosuke’s schedule and she’d apologized profusely for having to postpone. Still they had spent the time apart texting and calling one another, and as both their schedules were insanely busy with his tour schedule and all of the animals in the country appearing unwell at the same time—they had not been able to see each other for well over a month in person. 

Ryosuke couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been living with, a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach that the thing Elliot had been most afraid of, his life being too much chaos, too much of a whirlwind for her was coming true at the very start of their relationship, even though she never said anything to make him think she was concerned about it.

 

 

* * *

  

##  **Late September**

 

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:**  I should go to sleep…5am is an early wake up

**Ryosuke:**  (-_-) zzz 

 **Elliot:**   I hope you have sweet dreams!

 **Ryosuke:**  The only way I could have sweet dreams is if I could see you

 **Elliot:**  I’m sorry ( .. )

 **Ryosuke:**  I wish I could come see you right now

 **Ryosuke:**   ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

 **Elliot:**  It’s 11:30 and we both have early work days tomorrow

 **Ryosuke:**  I know but it would be worth being tired just to see your face for even just a few minutes

 **Ryosuke:**.·´¯`( >▂<)´¯`·.

 **Elliot:**  Am I supposed to be the practical one here or the one that says I’m waiting for you at the door?

 **Ryosuke:**  The latter I think

 **Ryosuke:**   o(^▽^)o

 **Elliot:**  ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و Then I will be waiting at the door

 **Ryosuke:** ╭( ･ㅂ･)و ̑̑

 **Ryosuke:**  I’ll be there in twenty minutes!

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Elliot was true to her word waiting beside the door when she heard a soft knock on it, Ryosuke clearly trying to be quiet to not disturb her neighbors. She immediately opened the door to see Ryosuke standing there, his happy face changing almost instantly, “Elliot!” he hissed, his expression stern, “You didn’t even look to see who was out here before you opened your door!”

“I…wait…” Elliot opened the door all the way, shaking her head, “Ryosuke, I live in a really safe building, plus, I’ve managed to stay alive all of these years witho—”

Her words faded off when her gaze landed back on him, his expression serious, but his eyes held something else, fixated on her legs, and she realized that the only thing she had on was her over-sized t-shirt, “Ah….I’m sorry, let me go put my robe on,” she murmured struggling with the need to cover herself up.

“No,” he stepped into her, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her to him as he hugged her, “I’m not staying, I just wanted to see you, to touch you for a moment—it feels like years since I’ve been here with you. I just really needed this.”

His body shook as he took a deep breath, and she drew her arms up around him, holding him tightly, her fingers spanning across the muscles in his back, and she frowned, worried about the tension she felt there, worried about how serious he felt, whispering in his ear, “Hey…are you okay?”

“I am now,” he murmured, sighing as he squeezed her softly.

“You don’t tell me the truth, do you?”

He hummed, pulling back, his nose nearly touching hers, “Truth about what? I tell you everything,” he smiled, shaking his head, “A fact I am positive will eventually give you enough information to ruin me.”

She couldn’t smile even though he was suddenly being playful, because as she looked at him, she saw it, the things others probably didn’t see—the fine lines of strain, the way his eyes weren’t lit up, the way his jaw held tension.

“Touring is very hard for you, that’s what you don’t tell me the truth about.”

His eyes closed and then when they opened they drifted past her face to the room behind her, “I…It’s not that I lie to you, Elliot.”

“You don’t tell me though, I can tell that now, and I understand why you don’t…”

His eyes snapped to hers and before he could ask her what she meant she spoke quickly, “You are afraid if you complain or show that this is hard for you then I will be overwhelmed—so you hide the hard parts from me, only sharing the happy bits and pieces—new discoveries in cities where you travel, scenic views, game rooms, and swimming—fun things, happy things—my phone is full of messages and pictures…”

She shifted, drawing her hands up between them, holding his cheeks, “But…Ryosuke, I see the truth right here on your face, others are blind to not see it for themselves—this is hard. I suspected it, but now I know…you should have told me the truth.”

“I was afraid to talk about the downside,” he nodded his head, the admittance a step forward, they both knew it, and she could tell he was internally chastising himself.

She squeezed his face, making him look into her eyes, “Hey! None of that, Mister! I just want to know, not just the happy things—I want to know ALL the things. That’s what a relationship is…isn’t it?”

He stared at her, then nodded, “It is.”

“When I told you I was in, I meant all in, Ryosuke, you don’t have to worry or hide the truth from me. I’m not going anywhere.”

He took a shuddering breath, his fingers clenching on her waist, “You promise?”

“I promise,” she smiled, tilting his head down to kiss his forehead softly, then pulling him into a hug, “I’m in this with you, I don’t want a fake relationship. I want a real one, a genuine one. I want that with you—so no more pseudo protecting me from your reality.”

“Okay,” he whispered, squeezing her tightly, and she smiled as she felt his entire body relax into her, finally, for the very first time.

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:** ┐(´д｀)┌It’s so hot in here, I think I’m melting Elliot

 **Elliot:** What are you doing?

 **Ryosuke:**  Shooting a video and the studio is so hot!

 **Elliot:**  It’s not too warm outside though?

 **Ryosuke:** I know, I can’t explain it, but the entire warehouse we’re shooting in feels like it’s the inner circle of hell kind of hot....ack...gotta go, Chii-chan wants to say hi

 **Ryosuke:**  Hey Elliot! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

 **Elliot:**  Hey Chinen-san ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/

 **Ryosuke:** Call me Yuri for goodness sakes, I’m practically family!

 **Elliot:** Okay, hey Yuri lol (=^▽^=)

 **Ryosuke:** How are you? Are you at work? (^･ｪ･^) Seen any exotic animals lately?

 **Elliot:** Nope, I’m off today! I’m still in my pajamas!

 **Elliot:**   ⌒°(ᴖ◡ᴖ)°⌒

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m shocked. It’s nearly ten!

 **Elliot:** I know, I’m so lazy today!

 **Ryosuke:**  That’s not what I hear from Yama-chan--he says you work too hard all the time.

 **Elliot:** I love my job so it hardly feels like work to be honest

 **Ryosuke:**  I can understand that

 **Ryosuke:**  Look at your boyfriend, he’s such an idiot, I have no idea what you see in him

 

  


**Elliot:** lol  ◦°˚\\(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦ he’s perfect 

 **Ryosuke:**  Is he? Is that true? （￣～￣） I don’t think so, I should tell you some stories!

 **Elliot:** Oh, do tell!

 **Ryosuke:**  He’ll kill me, better to not leave a trace of my betrayal on his cell phone records...I’ll get to that later!

 **Ryosuke:**  Here:

 

  


  
 

  


**Ryosuke:**  He knows I’m filming and sending this to you, I think he’s flirting with you Elliot lol--I think he LIKES that you like it haha

 **Elliot:** I do like it lol a lot!

 **Elliot:** I saw a flying squirrel by the way

 **Ryosuke:**  w(°ｏ°)w ᵒᵐᵍᵎᵎᵎ  Did you take pictures?

 **Elliot:** Ah...no?

 **Ryosuke:**  Then it didn’t happen. Next time I’ll need definitive proof.

 **Elliot:** OMG ヘ（。□°）ヘ You’re impossible

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m not impossible （￣へ￣） I’m a skeptic

 **Elliot:** Whatever

 **Elliot:**  ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Ryosuke:**  

 

  


**Ryosuke:**  Ah, he’s done, gotta go! My turn!! Seriously, pictures Elliot, don’t let me down! I share with you, you need to share with me!

 **Ryosuke:**  In fact, pictures of Saya would be the best! 

 **Ryosuke:**  PLEASE ELLIOT I’M BEGGING YOU!

 **Ryosuke:**  o(^▽^)o

 **Elliot:** Okay, okay! PICTURES! Sheesh!

 

* * *

 

**Four hours later:**

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:**  We’re done! Sorry I couldn’t write, everything picked up really fast, but I thought I would show you the videos we took! The staff shared their videos with us as well!

 **Elliot:** Yes, please!!!

 **Elliot:**  (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

 **Ryosuke:**  Okay! ~(＾◇^)/

 **Ryosuke:**  First we practiced, running through the dance a few times:

 

  


  


**Elliot:** That’s looks amazing! How long does it take you guys to learn something like that?

 **Ryosuke:**  Oh, just a handful of hours at the most

 **Elliot:** That’s insane. (۶* ‘ꆚ’)۶” You do know that right? Normal people couldn’t learn a dance like that in such a short time!

 **Ryosuke:**  Well, (p^-^)p we’ve been dancing since we were children--it’s like we know all of the moves and stuff, all we’re doing it putting them in new orders all the time

 **Elliot:** I guess, still don’t sell yourself short--that’s amazing, and it looks fantastic

 **Ryosuke:**  hahahaha ( ՞ਊ՞) the song is called “Fantastic Time” lol

 **Elliot:** OMG (ノ^∇^) that’s hysterical

 **Ryosuke:**  Then the real shoot:

 

  


**Elliot:** ....I can't say what I want to say

**Ryosuke:** Why not?

**Elliot:** Too embarrassing lol just imagine...

**Ryosuke:**  Hmmm...

**Ryosuke:**  (๑¯ਊ¯)σ л̵ʱªʱªʱª omg Elliot haha shame on you!

**Elliot:** lol (´∀｀)♡ it's not my fault you're you is it?

**Ryosuke:**   (^▽^)♡

**Ryosuke:**  And then we get a break but again...the inner circle of hell, remember?

 **Elliot:** I remember

 **Ryosuke:**  So, first of all, if the guys try to tell you that I am ‘diva’ on set, please don’t listen to them. People WANT to do things for me, okay? They LIKE to take care of me, I can’t explain why they bring me glasses of soda with ice when everyone else is given lukewarm water bottles....I don’t know why! I didn’t ask for it.

 **Ryosuke:**  Though, admittedly, I appreciated it!

 **Ryosuke:**  Chii-chan had my phone so he took these videos, first Keito gets his warm water bottle lol

 

**Ryosuke:**  Okay, okay, I know...these videos might make it look like I’m bragging about that glass of soda but I wasn’t, I just really enjoyed it that’s all lol

 **Ryosuke:**  (￣ω￣)

 

**Ryosuke:**  I mean, okay lol  _maybe_  I was exaggerating a little bit..

 **Elliot:** OMG ＼(>o<)ノ  you’re such a brat! I can’t believe they don’t want to kill you lol

 **Ryosuke:**  It’s because I’m too cute, (´∀｀)♡ it endears me to them no matter what I do lol

 

**Elliot:** Well, (♡ ὅ ◡ ὅ )ʃ♡ you are cute, that’s true but you’re still horrible lol

 **Ryosuke:**  Well, I honestly didn’t ask for it but the best part was eating the ice cubes because at least it cooled me off a little bit

 **Ryosuke:**  Poor Inoo-chan with his warm water bottle...

 

**Ryosuke:**  I shared my ice with him--see, I’m nice, I’m good, I’m not a diva at all not a brat at all see!

 

**Ryosuke:**  Hikaru got my phone. Sorry.

 

**Elliot:** Oh my gosh ヘ（。□°）ヘ lol

 **Ryosuke:**  I know, I know, he’s hideous! 

 **Elliot:** It’s too funny! It looks like you guys have a lot of fun while you’re working! That makes me happy

 **Elliot:**  o(^∀^*)o

 **Ryosuke:**  We do have a good time! They’re family, we’re stupid together, I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into lol

 **Elliot:** I know and am ready! 

 **Elliot:**  (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧Bring it on!!!

 **Ryosuke:**   (Ɔ ˘⌣˘)♥(˘⌣˘ C) I’m so glad you’re you!

 

 

* * *

 

##  **October**

 

 

* * *

 

**Saya:** 〈(゜。゜) Are you coming to the thing tomorrow?

 **Yuri:**  (´−｀) ﾝｰ Are you going to be there?

 **Saya:** Of course!

 **Yuri:**  YEP! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) I’ll be there!

 **Saya:** (p^-^)pYou’re so dumb

 **Yuri:**  You love it and you know it

 **Saya:** Whatever

 **Yuri:**  Saya?

 **Saya:** YES YURI YES

 **Yuri:**  You didn’t even let me ask

 **Saya:** You’ve asked me three hundred times, and I said yes over a week ago!

 **Yuri:**  I just want to make sure…keep you from changing your mind

 **Saya:** o(^∀^*)oI’m not changing my mind

 **Yuri:**  because I’m taking you to Disney

 **Saya:** Yep! I am, after all, the kind of girl who only cares about what she can get from the guy she’s going on a date with—if you weren’t rich and famous I wouldn’t even consider going out with you, especially if you didn’t include Disney in the scenario

 **Yuri:**  Well, o(^◇^)o it’s really good that I’m rich and famous then

 **Saya:** Exactly

 **Yuri:**  I’ll see you tomorrow, cutie

 **Yuri:** ⊂（♡⌂♡）⊃

 **Saya:** See you then!

 **Saya:** ＼(^o^)／

 **Yuri:**  ( ˘ ³˘)♥

 

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:**  (-_-) zzz Go to sleep

 **Elliot:** (-, – )…zzzZZZYou go to sleep

 **Ryosuke:**  Lol I am going to sleep, that’s why we’re saying goodnight!

 **Elliot:** Fine

 **Ryosuke:**  Be safe working on your park tomorrow

 **Elliot:** I will

 **Ryosuke:**  Early start?

 **Elliot:** Hmm?

 **Ryosuke:**  Are you getting an early start?

 **Elliot:** I’d like to say I will sleep in, but it’s unlikely, I feel like I’ll end up over there around 9 or so and work until it gets dark

 **Ryosuke:**  Well, have a good day!

 **Elliot:** I will!

 **Ryosuke:**   ( ๑ ᴖ ᴈ ᴖ)ᴖ ᴑ ᴖ๑)

 **Elliot:**  (◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦)♡

 

 

* * *

 

Elliot had awoken earlier than she’d planned, her system so used to the normal schedule that it rebelled against her wishes to sleep in on her off time. It was just as well, since she really wanted to get into the park and get started. She figured if she got there by nine she could stay until at least five or six before it got too dark to continue. She dressed in her old blue jeans, probably in the perfect condition that other people payed hundreds of dollars for with the wear and such on them, and a long sleeved knit black shirt, carrying a jacket with her in case the wind became too chilly.

She made her way to the park, bag in hand with the tools she’d managed to gather over time for her work there. She turned the corner on the street where the park was located, not paying much attention to anything until she heard her name called out. She looked up, squinting against the morning sun, to what appeared a crowd of people by the park gates, with Saya waving her arm in the air, calling out, “Good morning, Boss!”

Elliot tried to make out who the people were, not recognizing most of them, and was completely shocked to see Ryosuke there, and even more surprised to see Yuri standing beside Saya, along with two of the other techs from work and a bunch of people she didn’t know.

When she finally made it there, her eyes grew wide, taking in the wagons lined up along the sidewalk filled with tools, and flowers, and all sorts of pine bark and bags full of things she didn’t know how to pronounce, and she just didn’t understand, gesturing toward them all, “What…what’s happening here?”

“We’re here to help!” Saya spoke brightly, then gesturing to Ryosuke who was standing beside her, “It was his idea, he said you were having a work day today and thought it would be great if we all pitched in to help you.”

Elliot’s eyes scanned the group of people, realizing that the group included the rest of Ryosuke’s group members, plus what had to be a handful of Juniors, and a few other people from the clinic she hadn’t realized were there before.

She didn’t mean to, but she couldn’t stop it when her eyes swelled up with tears, and before she could even take a breath, Ryosuke had stepped toward her, embracing her and shuffling her backward, plucking the keys out of her pocket and giving them to Saya before he turned back around, moving Elliot away from the crowd as they all started moving the wagons in through the park now that the gate was unlocked.

Ryosuke blocked the others from seeing her, his hands resting on her upper arms, “It’s okay, Elliot.”

She was shaking and then she couldn’t help it, a broken sob escaped and she laughed at how stupid she was, crying harder as he pulled her into his arms, encircling her gently, whispering softly in her ear, “I know, I understand.”

He really did understand, he wasn’t the kind of person to ask for help either, and certainly he wasn’t the type to expect it. He was also used to making his own way in the world, but being in Jump had taught him a valuable lesson about that—and now he figured it was high time that Elliot learned the same lesson. People are there in your life, willing to help, because they want to—because that is an external expression of internal feelings.

She sniffled, and then drew back, looking up at his eyes which were soft with warmth, her voice shaky from her tears, “I never expected…I am just so…”

He smiled, leaning forward as his hand moved to hold the back of her head, kissing her softly on the forehead before he ducked down to catch her gaze, “Elliot, it’s okay, everyone wants to be here and help you. I wasn’t even going to ask the guys to come but when they heard what I was planning they all insisted on coming, and from there it kinda of grew. We want to help get your park back in order again.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, springing forward to wrap her arms around him tightly, and he laughed lifting her feet off the ground as his arms wrapped around her waist and held her there for a moment, closing his eyes and inhaling the strawberry scent of her hair.

Elliot’s eyes opened as he sat her down, smiling, “I am so glad to see you,” her hands moved to hold his cheeks, her eyes sweeping across his face, nodding, “You’re feeling much better!”

“I am, thanks to this amazing girl who has completely stolen my heart,” he mused, his fingertips moving slowly on her hips.

“Hmm,” Elliot twisted her face as if in deep thought, “She sounds like a keeper! You’ll have to introduce us!”

“She’s definitely a keeper,” he laughed lightly, pulling her to him as he kissed her cheek, enveloping her in his arms again. She peeked her eyes open to see Saya and Yuri standing at the gate watching them without trying to appear like they were watching and she couldn’t help but laugh.

She took a big breath, then looked back at Ryosuke, “I guess we should get started then.”

“Yep!” He reached down to take her hand and they walked back to the gate together, Saya's eyes alight with joy as she took in Elliot, and Yuri seemed to be much the same, a wide smile on his face as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

“You’d better start giving those guys instructions,” Saya laughed as she spoke, gesturing into the park, “They’re getting restless!”

Elliot nodded, and the four of them entered the park, closing the gates, and then Elliot turned and waved bashfully at everyone, and of course, that instantly inspired a round of exclamations and sounds like ‘awwww’ and such as all the Johnny’s mused about how cute and adorable she was—which of course, made her blush and get even more embarrassed, which prompted another round of laughter as she ducked her head, covering her face.

They quieted down when Ryosuke stepped up next to Elliot, his hand on the middle of her back, silencing them with a single word, “Guys.”

“I just wanted to say, thank you, and I appreciate you all coming here to help! There’s plenty of work to do, so if you divide up into smaller groups I can tell you some of what needs to be done.”

And just like that Elliot stepped into her “professional” mode, no more the shy, embarrassed little girl, but the confident, self-assured woman who knew what needed to be done, and knew the exact steps to make it happen.

Once all the groups had been dispersed throughout the park with different tasks, Elliot glanced over at Ryosuke who had leaned against the gate with his arms crossed, sporting an amused smile, her eyes narrowing, “What?”

He laughed, moving over toward her to pick up the handle to the wagon their materials had been piled in, “You and I are not that different.”

“Hmm?” she gestured the direction they were going to work in, and he fell into step beside her, the wagon making scratching sounds as it rolled down the cobblestone path.

“You have at least two faces,” he mused, glancing over to her, “I have quite a few. I wonder if you have more than two?”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

“Well,” he tilted his head, “I’ll use myself as an example. I have multiple personas if you will. Different masks I put on for different purposes—and generally, I can change one out for another almost seamlessly. There’s of course the Idol—self-assured, confident, princely aura, and brave—he never gets worried or embarrassed—he’s above all that. Then there’s the family member, who I am with my family—my parents and sisters and all of that. Different faces for different people. You know?”

“I see what you mean,” she nodded, twisting her face as she considered his words carefully, “I suppose I do have who I am in general and then who I am in ‘work’ mode—does that count?”

“Yep!” he smiled, nodding, “Though, you’re a complex person, I think there’s more than two, in fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen at least four already.”

“Four!” Elliot shook her head, “I’m not  _that_  complicated!”

“Then is the person who cried outside the gate the ‘normal’, or the ‘work’ you?”

Elliot didn’t answer right away, because she realized he did have a point, that wasn’t her normal response to things, and it certainly wasn’t her in her work form, so maybe he was right, “I guess, it really wasn’t either of those…but I don’t know what it was then.”

“The little girl, the soft vulnerable part of you that your Mom has pushed so far down inside of you that you hardly know her,” he mused, reaching over to take her hand with the one that wasn’t pulling the wagon, “The part of you that always believed fairy tales are real, that love at first sight was possible, that magical things happen everywhere, that dreams can come true, and ‘happily ever after’ still exists even in a world as dark as ours.”

These words spoke straight to her soul, and she stopped walking, her eyes wide and her mouth opening and closing with unspoken words, and Ryosuke dropped the handle of the wagon, turning toward her to hold her face in his hands, “It’s alright, Elliot, I have a little boy in me but he’s not nearly as cute as your girl—he’s a very petulant child! I just think maybe you should listen to your little girl a bit more, I think.”

“I’ll try.”

_I’ll try._

 

 

* * *

  

##  **October 26th**

##  **Fantastic Time Release Day**

 

 

* * *

  

Ryosuke was sitting on the floor in the rehearsal room, waiting for the others to show up, resting his back against the mirrored wall. Glancing down at his phone to check the time, realizing he'd missed a message from Elliot, he clicked on the envelope to read it.

 **Elliot:**  So...anything exciting happening there?

 **Ryosuke:**  Ah...waiting for the other guys to show up--not exactly exciting lol

 **Elliot:**  Awwhh! I hope that you have a good day!

 **Ryosuke:** We’re doing brush up rehearsals, but it should be fairly relaxed

He glanced up when Daiki and Yuri walked in, their laughter echoing off the wall, then speaking quietly as they approached where Ryosuke was sitting. Ryosuke took in the way Yuri was avoiding eye contact, a sure sign he was up to no good. Daiki was standing with his back turned away from him, also raising suspicions.

“What are you two doing?”

“Nothing...” Yuri turned, looked at him with a painted on innocent look that made Ryosuke even more paranoid.

“Well, now I know you’re definitely up to something, you are a terrible liar,” Ryosuke laughed, standing up and putting his phone in his pocket, “What’s happening?”

“Nothing,” Daiki spoke firmly, shrugging, “Like he said, nothing at all?”

“Uh-huh,” Ryosuke rolled his eyes, prepared to badger them into telling him what they were up to, but was distracted when there was a noise at the doorway, glancing up to see a group of people coming into the rehearsal room with bundles of multicolored balloons.

“What the...”

One of the delivery people glanced over to them, then asked loudly, “Yamada Ryosuke?”

“That’s me,” Ryosuke responded, confused, as he made his way over to the delivery people crowded into the entry way--the entire front wall covered in bundles of balloons.

“This is for you,” the delivery man held out a large basket, that had a bundle of red balloons attached to it. 

“What...what in the world?” He took the basket out of the man’s hand, eyes wide as he took in the treats sitting inside of it, wrapped in clear cellophane, then looking at the other delivery people.

“Is it okay for us to just set these over here?” The delivery man gestured to the wall, and then Ryosuke realized that each bundle of balloons matched the members colors and he was even more curious.

“Of course,” he nodded, turning to see Yuri and Daiki moving toward him, smiles on their faces.

The delivery people set the baskets down and left quickly, and before Ryosuke could say anything, Yuri was squealing as he rushed over to the basket that had the bundle of pink balloons on it. Daiki shoved Ryosuke as he passed him, whispering, “I can’t believe you found this girl,” as he moved to pick up the basket with orange balloons attached.

“What is going on here?” Ryosuke’s voice was exasperated, clearly out of the loop, and the other two boys just laughed.

“Open the basket, then you’ll know!” Yuri mused, having sat down in front of his basket and was quickly opening the wrapping.

Ryosuke carried the basket over to the table in the corner, setting it down and studying it, realizing there was a card contained within. He pulled at the bow to make the wrapping drop down, his mouth watering as the smell of the chocolate covered strawberries arranged in a heart pattern on a glass plate hit him.

There were other treats, and even some gift cards to his favorite restaurants...and then he picked up the card that was tucked along the back edge, his name printed there. He opened it quickly, finding a notecard with kittens on it, and his heart began to beat faster, his mind running directly to the idea that this was something Elliot had done.

_But she doesn’t even know where I work or anything..._

He dismissed the idea, opening the card and then his breath caught in his throat, his eyes moving directly to the bottom of the card to find her name signed there with a little pawprint marking the ‘i” in her name.

 

* * *

  

_Dearest Ryosuke,_

_Congratulations on the release of your newest single! I wondered if you celebrated things like this or if it was just business as usual, and then I realized I didn’t care either way--I wanted to tell you that I was proud of you and think you’re positively amazing!_

_I am going to be at the music store first thing today to get my copies and I can’t wait to listen to it, to listen to you! (and the others too, of course!) I think you’re wonderful--because you are so kind, so thoughtful, so generous, so sweet, and so very loving (and lovable!)--and then of course, there’s that thing about your voice and talent and all of that, but it’s certainly secondary to who you really are._

_Thank you for letting me see you as truly yourself, and giving me the freedom and often the courage to be who I really am. I look forward to discovering even more about ourselves as we grow together!_

_Yours forever,_

_Elliot_

 

 

* * *

 

“How in the world...” Ryosuke glanced over looking at Yuri who was digging through his basket, popping something into his mouth.

“Oy!” he called out, “You!” Yuri turning quickly to look at him, Ryosuke demanding, “Spill it!”

Yuri talked with his mouth full, “I just told her where you’d be and how to send the delivery person!”

Ryosuke understood then, laughing when Yuri quickly swallowed the treat he’d eaten, then raised his arms and gestured around at all of the balloons, “I didn’t know she was sending them to all of us though, I thought it was just you.”

He looked to the side to find Daiki looking at his basket, then glancing up at him, and then to Yuri, his voice petulant, “Well, Ryosuke’s is still huge compared to ours!”

Yuri nearly choked on the strawberry he’d just popped into his mouth, laughing as he watched Ryosuke turn to look at Daiki, his eyebrow raised, his expression marked with amusement, his hand patting him softly on the back as he leaned in to whisper, “That’s what she said.”

 

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:**  I can’t believe you did this, the guys are beside themselves with excitement and now I think I will have to fight them all off to keep them away from you lol they think there’s not another girl in the world like you--and I have to agree with them wholeheartedly!

 **Elliot:**  Happy release day! You have nothing to worry about, I only have eyes for you!

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m glad!

 **Elliot:** （●´∀｀）ノ♡

 **Ryosuke:** Thank you, it meant more to me than I could express...no one has really ever...hmmm...I guess cared about things like that. It was nice to have a moment to reflect on the accomplishment.

 **Elliot:**  You’re welcome, it made me really happy to do something for all of you!

 **Ryosuke:** Ƭ ɧ ձ ƞ Ƙ ʂ (◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦) Ȼ ɧ ư ♡ 

 **Elliot:** ♡(◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦)cнϋ♡

 

* * *

 

##  **November**

 

 

* * *

 

The next few weeks were a blur for both of them, as they each were super busy with work and other obligations, but they kept in touch as often as they could, sending messages throughout the day—as Elliot had begun to keep her phone with her…and phone calls when they could manage it.

 **Elliot:**  What’s your favorite food? You already know mine!

 **Ryosuke:** Strawberries

 **Elliot:** That’s dessert? I mean like food you eat for dinner…

 **Ryosuke:**  Strawberries

 **Elliot:**  ah… (｀_´)ゞ

 **Ryosuke:**  They should be their own food group. I’m petitioning the health department to recognize it.

 **Elliot:**  Uh-huh

 

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:**   Favorite movie?

 **Elliot:**  I’m not telling you, you’ll think I’m weird.

 **Ryosuke:**  What do you mean? I promise I won’t think you’re weird!

 **Elliot:**  Seriously, I mean….it’s just not a traditional ‘favorite film’ for girls, they all like stories like “Love Note” and things like that

 **Ryosuke:**  Spill it Meadows!

 **Elliot:**  Star Wars (my second favorite is Ever After, so there’s that)

 **Ryosuke:** ☆~~ヾ(>▽<)ﾉ｡･☆

 **Ryosuke:**  Marry me.

 **Ryosuke:** ♡｡ﾟ.(*♡´◡` 人´◡` ♡*)ﾟ♡ °・

 **Elliot:**  Nope, you’ll have to ask me later lol

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Ryosuke:**  so anyway, we’re going to be playing soccer at the fields by my house if you want to join my team I’ll see to it that the Captain gives you a good position

 **Elliot:**  (⊙.☉)7 You’re the Captain aren’t you

 **Ryosuke:** ੧(❛〜❛)੭ Maybe

 **Elliot:**  I am a danger to myself and others when attempting sports. I will come and watch you on the sidelines though, sit in the bleacher and make a sign with your name on it, bring pompoms, all that

 **Ryosuke:** ((((；゜Д゜))) Do you own pompoms?

 **Elliot:**  No comment….how’s the weather?

 **Ryosuke:**  Wait, wait, no…nu-uh! You were a cheerleader?

 **Elliot:**  Shut up, I was fifteen and trying to figure out who I was

 **Ryosuke:**  ( ꒪Д꒪)ノPlease tell me there are pictures of this

 **Elliot:** note to self: destroy all evidence

 **Ryosuke:** (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))You better bring those pompoms cheer girl—I’ll be expecting to hear my name louder than everyone else’s since you’re a professional and all that!

 **Elliot:** (;¬_¬) I hate you

 **Ryosuke:**  Liar—(´∀｀)♡ you love me.

 **Elliot:** へ‿(ツ)‿ㄏ A little bit, like it’s so small, it’s practically insignificant

 **Ryosuke:**  ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ Your nose is going to grow with all the lying you’re doing tonight. Your mother would be appalled.

 **Elliot:**  My mother would be appalled period.

 **Ryosuke:**  Yep, I have to meet her soon…

 **Elliot:**  (((╹д╹;))) No can do.

 **Ryosuke:**  You can’t hide me from your mother forever Elliot

 **Elliot:** ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/ I can

 **Ryosuke:**   (๑¯ਊ¯)σ л̵ʱªʱªʱª Grandchildren will be a real surprise for her then

 **Elliot:** Pfft, ┐( ˘_˘)┌ she wouldn’t even notice

 **Ryosuke:**  You should give your Mom a chance to make a good decision here

 **Elliot:**  Okay

 **Ryosuke:** （；¬＿¬)

 **Ryosuke:**  Really?

 **Elliot:**  No.

 **Ryosuke:** ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡

 **Ryosuke:** Well, I’m going to talk to my family about a dinner with you eventually

 **Elliot:** ₍₍ ◝(●˙꒳˙●)◜ ₎₎ YAY!

 **Ryosuke:**  and then…

 **Elliot:**  And then?

 **Ryosuke:** We’re telling your parents

 **Elliot:** <(｀^´)>

 **Ryosuke:** ٩(๑•◡-๑)۶ⒽⓤⒼ

 

 

* * *

 

##  **December**

 

 

* * *

  

**Elliot:**  My heart is hurting—I had to put down a dog a few minutes ago.

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m so sorry, sweetheart, are you okay?

 **Elliot:**  no, I’m hiding in the exam room so I can cry, and all I could think was that I needed to talk to you

 **Ryosuke:**  Do you have any patients to see now?

 **Elliot:** Not for about twenty minutes

Elliot jumped when her phone began to ring, answering it quickly with a sniffle, “H-hello?”

“Awwwhhh, hey Precious,” his voice was like a balm to her soul as he spoke into her heart, “Listen, you need to go to the back and get you some hot cocoa—and then have Saya take over for a little while so you can clear your head, go pet the kittens, take some time,” his voice was laced with concern, and Elliot took a shuddering breath trying to gather herself to speak, but he whispered, “Hey, it’s okay to hurt, it’s okay. I’m here, I wish I were  _actually_  there with you though.”

Elliot nodded her head, and then realized he couldn’t see her, “Me too.”

“My heart is,” she could hear the smile in his voice as he made a whisping, fluttering, whooshing sound, and she caught on, a laugh bubbling up as he spoke, “I’m sending it over, you’d better catch it”

She reached up into the air, grabbing his pretend heart, though to her, for that moment it felt like she’d really grabbed onto a piece of him.

“Did you get it?”

“Yes,” she smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes, “I got it, thank you.”

His voice was so soft, so gentle, and her knees felt weak when he spoke again, “Keep it for now, it was already yours.”

 

 

* * *

 

Elliot jumped when someone knocked on her door, looking to Sassy who wasn’t acting all that worried given the fact that she normally lost her mind when people visited, even if she knew them. She glanced at the clock realizing it was super late, but was concerned maybe something was happening with her neighbors or something, peeking out through the peep-hole and then excitedly pulling the door open to find Ryosuke standing there, his smile brilliant.

“Oh my God!” Elliot smiled, laughing softly, as she jumped forward to grab him into her arms, “I didn’t think I’d see you until next week, at the earliest!”

“I just got home, and…” he stepped into her, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her to him as he hugged her, humming softly as he buried his face in her hair, “thank you!”

She held onto him, squeezing him gently, laughing lightly, “For what?”

“For looking before you opened the door,” he laughed as he said it, making light of it but the intensity of his hug spoke of something else to her.

“I only do it because it makes you happy,” she admitted, “I honestly don’t think there’s anything to be worried about.”

“Keeping you safe, that makes me happy,” he smiled, pulling back to look at her face, kissing her nose quickly before he spoke, “I’m not staying, I can’t—I’m sorry, I have a flight to catch in three hours—but I just needed to see you for a moment to make sure you were okay after today.”

She started to say something, but he’d backed up just a little bit away from her and looked her over, laughing lightly as he shook his head, kissing her cheek softly, “Stop that!”

“What?” she wondered, eyes wide open.

“Being so cute,” his fingers gripped her waist as gestured with his head up and down at her pink footie pajamas, “Everytime I think you can’t possibly be any more adorable, you find a way to prove me wrong.”

She blushed at his tone, and leaned forward to draw him back to her, his arms held her so tightly it was hard to take a full breath, and he groaned, his voice sad, “I really do have to leave—just…tell me you’re alright.”

He moved back so he could see her face, and she nodded, trying to be reassuring, “I’m good now, I did what you said, and had my cocoa...and this gorgeous guy showed up and hugged me so...”

He laughed, “A gorgeous guy, huh? I don’t know how I feel about you have visitors like that at your door when you’re looking as beautiful as you are,” he mused softly, making her blush again, his fingertips tightening on her waist for a moment before he released her, and then bent down to pick up a small bag off the floor, “I brought you this. I have other gifts from the tour stops but they are stuck in my luggage, but I got this after our call today.”

She knew it wasn’t normal to be so excited over a small bag, but for some reason she couldn’t contain her enthusiasm and was pleased when he laughed with her. She pulled out a mug that read “Please Do Not Confuse Your Google Search With My Veterinary Degree” along with a bag of gourmet hot cocoa.

She laughed, leaning forward to kiss his cheek quickly, “Thank you!”

“That is supposed to be one of the best cocoas, I mean I don’t know anything about them, of course, but the sales lady seemed to be knowledgeable, and I just…” She had to grin at how adorable his rambling nervousness was, leaning forward to kiss his other cheek as well.

“It will be perfect, it’s just perfect,” she smiled, as she grabbed him to pull him into another hug, and for a moment it seemed like time stood still. His hands so soft and warm on her back, and his breath gentle on her cheek, and the words were so light, so small it would have been easy to think it was merely her imagination, “ _You’re perfect_.”

 

 

* * *

 

##  **December 12th  
****Episode 9: Cain & Abel**

 

 

* * *

 

**Elliot:**  (ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ I hate you

**Ryosuke:** Did you cry?

 **Elliot:** Shut up

 **Ryosuke:**  I already know you did lol

 **Elliot:**  Yes.

 **Ryosuke:** (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )

 **Elliot:** (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

 **Ryosuke:** (ღ′◡‵)

 **Elliot:**  Is the next episode the one with the...

 **Ryosuke:** Yes, but you don't have to watch it

 **Elliot:**  Don’t be dumb, I'm watching it, I have to know the ending

 **Ryosuke:**  Okay, but...it's just acting

 **Elliot:** OMG I know, don't be stupid

 **Ryosuke:** Just reminding you--I'm paranoid

 **Elliot:** That's all it is, paranoia, there's no truth in being worried about it

 **Ryosuke:**  ( ´△｀) Okay...

 

 

* * *

 

##  **December 14th**

##  **Give Me Love Release Day**

  

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:**  Elliot. Where in the world did you find a stuffed teddy bear that is as tall as I am, and how in the world did you get it dressed into one of my concert outfits?

**Elliot:** (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

 **Ryosuke:**  lol thank you, I love it...I have no idea how you did this, but thank you, the guys like their gifts too

 **Elliot:**  YAY! o((*^▽^*))o

 **Ryosuke:** You spoil me (‘∀’●)♡ ...you spoil all of us

 **Elliot:** It's not spoiling someone if they _deserve it_

 **Ryosuke:** （*’∀’人）♥

 **Elliot:** （●´∀｀）ノ♡

 

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:**  It was a really long day, I’m so tired

 **Elliot:**  If I were there I’d rub your neck, I know you hold a lot of tension there.

 **Ryosuke:**  If you were here I probably wouldn’t want to sleep

 **Elliot:**  lol you're too much, go to sleep

 **Ryosuke:**  Hey…can I call?

 **Elliot:**  Sure?

“Hey,” he whispered, clearly exhausted, his voice hoarse and tired, his system fading off to sleep, so Elliot was careful to keep her voice low when she responded, “Hey there.”

“J-just wanted to hear your voice before I fell asleep.”

Elliot wanted to squeal, instead, she curled her toes and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, as his voice continued softly, “I really, really like you, Elliot.”

“I really, really like you too, Ryosuke,” she couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread across her face, “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay? You sleep now, have sweet dreams.”

“My dreams are always sweet because you’re in them,” he murmured, his voice groggy, “G’night.”

“Goodnight.”

 

 

* * *

 

##  **December 19  
****Episode 10: Cain & Abel**

 

 

* * *

 

**Ryosuke:** And....

 **Elliot:** I loved it, it was a perfect ending! I was always rooting for her!

 **Ryosuke:**  Sure, okay, and...?

 **Elliot:**  I didn't like it

 **Ryosuke:** ｡･ﾟﾟ･(>д<)･ﾟﾟ･｡

 **Elliot:**  But it was still beautiful and sweet...I believed it, you are an amazing actor

 **Ryosuke:**  Are you upset?

 **Elliot:**  No? I didn’t like it, but it doesn’t upset me...I’ve seen that expression before in person, so I’m the lucky girl here

 **Ryosuke:** I thought of you when I was filming the scene to be honest, it was the only way I could focus the right way

 **Elliot:** (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

 **Ryosuke:** You’re okay then?

 **Elliot:** Yes?

 **Ryosuke:**  Am I worrying too much?

 **Elliot:**  Yes...it's just acting, I understand lol I have to know that these kinds of things are going to happen, you know?

 **Ryosuke:** But you said you didn't like it.

 **Elliot:**  Ahm...am I supposed to _like_  you kissing another girl?

 **Ryosuke:**  Well, when you say it like that I guess not

 **Elliot:**  Okay lol then no,  _I don't like it_ , yes I understand it's just acting, and no I'm not upset, there's nothing for me to worry about--you’re mine after all, aren’t you?

 **Ryosuke:** Undeniably yours

 **Ryosuke:**  ♡｡ﾟ.(*♡´◡` 人´◡` ♡*)ﾟ♡ °・

 **Elliot:** Then there’s no place for worry or jealousy over make-believe

 **Ryosuke:**  ☆*✲ﾟ*｡(((´♡‿♡`+)))｡*ﾟ✲*☆

 **Elliot:** But...

 **Ryosuke:** But?

 **Elliot:** Well, I mean...just...nevermind

 **Ryosuke:** No way! What is it? 

 **Elliot:** (‘-’*)It’s stupid

 **Ryosuke:** I’m sure it’s not! You can tell me anything!

 **Elliot:** Well...I mean, it was weird for me mostly because, you know...you and I....we haven’t....

 **Ryosuke:** Ah...

 **Elliot:** Do you....not want to?

 **Ryosuke:** OMG (」゜ロ゜)」 Elliot, don’t be insane of course I do

 **Elliot:** But...?

 **Ryosuke:** I know this will sound really dumb...but...

 **Ryosuke:** I don’t think it would be right to kiss you until I’ve actually taken you on a proper date, that’s all--trust me it has NOTHING to do with me not WANTING to, my God...I WANT to.

 **Elliot:** LOL ヽ(>∇<)ﾉ Okay

 **Ryosuke:** Like I really do lol I’m just...traditional that way I guess?

 **Elliot:**  (ɔ ˘⌣˘)˘⌣˘ c)I love that about you!

 **Ryosuke:** (｡◝‿◜｡) You love  _everything_  about me

 **Elliot:** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Maybe

 **Ryosuke:** Oh I know the truth

 **Elliot:** Uh-huh

 **Ryosuke:** I love everything about you too

 **Elliot:** o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

 

 

* * *

 

##  **December 31st, January 1st**

 

 

* * *

  

Elliot was watching him on stage, the boys were all so adorable and she was amazed at the spectacle that Johnny’s put on for New Years. She knew that each time he hid behind one of the others he was messaging her, despite her telling him he should pay attention to the fans.

 **Ryosuke:**  (⌣_⌣”) Happy New Year....

 **Elliot:** I can hear you pouting through the text

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m not

 **Elliot:** (⊙_☉)

 **Ryosuke:**  Fine, but it’s my first year with a girl to kiss on New Years and I can’t even be with you at midnight

 **Elliot:** Is this the right time to remind you that we haven’t  _actually kissed_  yet and I’m not fully convinced doing so for a New Years kiss is the right time?

 **Ryosuke:**  It’s not  _my_  fault we haven’t kissed yet.

 **Elliot:** (⊙.☉)7 Is that so?

 **Ryosuke:**  Yep! It’s because you work too much, I can’t take you on a date!

 **Elliot:** Pfft. ⁀⊙﹏☉⁀ Says the guy who’s working right now with only three minutes before New Years! 

 **Ryosuke:**   ヘ（。□°）ヘ

 **Ryosuke:**  Can you see me?

 **Elliot:** I can!

 **Ryosuke:**  Are you  _really_  out there?

 **Elliot:** I am

 **Ryosuke:**  What am I doing right now?

 **Elliot:** Setting aside your paranoia that I’m sitting at home watching this on the television--you are giving Chinen bunny ears....and now he’s slapped you.

 **Ryosuke:**  haha I’m glad you’re here, even if I can’t see you, we’re together

 **Elliot:** it counts, it does!

 **Ryosuke:**  Still see me?

Elliot squinted her eyes to see him and her eyes lit up when she saw him touch his heart and then gesture his hand into the air like it was floating away.

She quickly reached up and grabbed it, laughing at how silly they were together.

 **Elliot:** I got it!

 **Ryosuke:**  Keep it, it’s already yours.

As the countdown ended, all of the crowd celebrating, her phone lit up.

 **Ryosuke:**  Happy New Years Elliot

 **Elliot:** Happy New Years Ryosuke

 **Ryosuke:**  (◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦) Ȼ ɧ ư ♡

 **Elliot:** (^_^ ；)ε ˉ◦ ) Ȼ ɧ ư ♡ 

 

* * *

  

**Ryosuke:**  So, seriously, are we ever going to be able to go on a real date?

 **Elliot:**  ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯Probably not

 **Ryosuke:** What if we don’t go on a real date?

 **Elliot:** ｢(ﾟﾍﾟ) You lost me

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m coming home on Wednesday—I don’t go back to work until Tuesday—we can just…hang out? Like I feel like if we make some official plans everything will go all to hell like it always does, but if we just say we’re making plans to most certainly NOT make plans maybe we’ll outsmart the fate that seems to want to torture us

 **Elliot:** You’re a smart man

 **Ryosuke:**  My brain is only one of the many facets of me you should be utterly captivated by—you should see my arm muscles

 **Ryosuke:** ᕙ( ツ )ᕗ

 **Elliot:**  is that so?

 **Ryosuke:**  Yes, they’re god-like—by the way…yes or no?

 **Elliot:**  Yes, let’s show that bitch fate that she’s got no power over us! Lol

 **Ryosuke:**  o(^∀^*)o YES!

 **Elliot:**  I’m supposed to go see my parents on Thursday, and I have to work on Friday, but am completely off on Saturday

 **Ryosuke:**  I can go meet your parents with you on Thursday!

 **Elliot:**  No way, I haven’t seen them in a few months, it’s a bad idea for me to do that now

 **Ryosuke:**   You do know you have to tell them eventually, I mean I know we joked about it but...

 **Elliot:**  I will, I promise

 **Ryosuke:**  Okay, then Saturday you’re all mine!

 **Elliot:**  I am  _already_  all yours

 **Ryosuke:**  I know  (ɔ ˘⌣˘)˘⌣˘ c)

 **Elliot:**  Just checking!

 

 

* * *

  

**Ryosuke:** So, tell me something no one else knows

 **Elliot:**  No one else knows? Hmm…let me think…

 **Ryosuke:**  o(^▽^)o

 **Elliot:**  When I eat the kind of cereal that has marshmallows in it, I eat all the normal bits first, and leave all of the marshmallows for last

 **Ryosuke:**  That’s adorable

 **Elliot:** I own Pooh Bear pajamas, they’ve got feet in them

 **Ryosuke:** That’s adorable

 **Elliot:**  I love tomatoes so much I eat them by themselves

 **Ryosuke:** We’re through

 

* * *

 **Ryosuke** : Do you know that I just read online that I have apparently impregnated a girl who is suing me for paternity costs

 **Ryosuke:**  It’s immaculate conception…I told you my arm muscles were god-like—apparently other parts of my body are also god-like as well!

 **Elliot:**  I’m not even going to comment on that Ryosuke…I just…no

 **Ryosuke:** ꉂ (๑¯ਊ¯)σ л̵ʱªʱªʱª

 **Elliot:**  Besides, I knew you were a cad from the start

 **Elliot:** ( ´艸｀)

 **Ryosuke:**  I just can’t seem to control my hormones, I’m sorry, I’m just too hot and sexy, especially the god-like parts of me

 **Ryosuke:** ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

 **Elliot:**  You sure are (꒪ཀ꒪) —I mean…wait…what were we talking about? Stop distracting me!

 **Ryosuke:**  ｡ﾟ(ﾟ ՞ਊ ՞  )ﾟ｡

 **Ryosuke:**  But you’re so cute when you’re flustered!

 **Elliot:**  My mother warned me about boys like you

 **Ryosuke:**   Hey, hold on, I happen to know she really did!

 **Elliot:** Oops, sorry, reality slipped into our fantasy—my bad

 

 

* * *

 

Elliot rolled over in her sleep seeing that the light on her phone was blinking, indicating she had a text message. She rubbed her eyes, reaching over to grab the phone, and clicking the button to see who it was. Her heart sped up when she saw it was from Ryosuke, and she wondered how long it would be that she had that response about everything when it came to him.

_I hope it never ends._

She couldn’t help it, she really loved the way it made her feel, and she hoped that so long as he was a part of her life, that she’d always have the excited, trembling response he could create in her just from seeing his name in print.

She realized there was more than one message, clicking to open the first one and laughing as she read it.

 **Ryosuke:**  I can’t sleep. I don’t know why, because I am so tired, and seriously, sleep isn’t something I usually struggle with--but my mind keeps whirling. I should get up and try to do something productive but that’s crazy at 3am right?

 **Ryosuke:**  I know you’re sleeping. I’m glad you are. I wish I was.

 **Ryosuke:**  Well, I don’t want to get up and do anything so I think I’ll just message you. Today was a long day, longer still because I was too busy to see you. I thought maybe I could get to your work before you left to at least walk you home, but I ended up tied up with some changes to tomorrow’s program. That said, FIVE days off after tomorrow! And in three days we’re going to have our first non-date ever.

 **Ryosuke:**  o((*^▽^*))o I can’t wait.

 **Ryosuke:**  Despite today being busy, I did think of you…probably more than I should have—you’re quite a distraction Dr. Meadows.

 **Ryosuke:** I’m still thinking of you...to be honest...

 

 

**Ryosuke:**  I wrote a bit of something for you actually. I wonder if I should share it? Maybe not yet.

 **Ryosuke:**  Forget I said anything.

 **Ryosuke:**  You heard nothing.

 **Ryosuke:**  I’m going to sleep.

Elliot smiled, checking the time and realizing he must have just sent the last message and maybe the light was what had made her wake up. She quickly typed out a message.

 **Elliot:** Sleep sweet, I heard nothing.

 **Elliot:**  ( ˘ ³˘)♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

 **Ryosuke:**  Why are you awake!? Don’t you have work tomorrow?

 **Elliot:** Ah, well, why are YOU awake, I know for a fact you have work tomorrow.

 **Ryosuke:**  (´･_･`) I couldn’t sleep.

 **Elliot:** (´｀;) ？ I just woke up.

 **Ryosuke:**  I was thinking…about stuff.

 **Elliot:** Wanna talk about it?

 **Ryosuke:**  Really?

 **Elliot:** Sure?

 **Ryosuke:**  That’s…that’s just really different. To have someone who wants to hear me, like, I really think it’s…just…I don’t know what I’m trying to say here.

 **Elliot:** I understand, I am glad you care about my life too, Ryosuke.

 **Ryosuke:**  Elliot, I really like you.

 **Elliot:** I really like you too silly.

 **Ryosuke:**  I mean, I really really really like you. A whole lot.

 **Elliot:** I really really really really super duper like you a whoooooollleeee lot too.

 **Ryosuke:**  Be my girlfriend?

 **Elliot:** Okay!

 **Ryosuke:**  Marry me?

 **Elliot:** Nope, you’ll have to ask me later lol

 **Ryosuke:**  Fine—I’ll ask again on Saturday!

 **Elliot:** Go to sleep! You’re going to hate me tomorrow for keeping you awake

 **Ryosuke:**  Never.

 **Elliot:** I’m not answering anymore, you’ll just stay up to talk to me. Go to sleep.

 **Elliot:** (^_^ ；)ε ˉ◦ ) Ȼ ɧ ư ♡

 ** **Ryosuke:**    **(◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦) Ȼ ɧ ư ♡ 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Since they both had a morning off they’d met at the coffee shop, then went for a walk in her park. Despite it being cold, she felt warm all over as he held her hand as they strolled to the fountain, turned off now due to winter, but still lovely just the same. The crisp air caused her breath to puff out in front of her in a mist, and she tucked her nose down into her scarf, glancing over at Ryosuke who was staring at her.

“I suppose we should have considered how cold this bench would be, huh?” he laughed, scooting over to grab her and pull her against him, “Though it does give me a good excuse to hold you close, doesn’t it?”

Elliot laughed softly, “You don’t need an excuse for that, do you?”

“No, I suppose I don’t,” he murmured, leaning over to kiss her temple before she laid her head against his chest, pushing into his thick scarf.

“I was wondering...”

Elliot hummed, pulling her head back to look at him, his eyes still focused on the fountain as he spoke, “Did you decide to listen to your little girl yet?”

Elliot wanted to say she had, but the truth was, it was very hard to do, she looked down at the ground, shaking her head gently.

“Ryosuke, I want to believe in those things, you make me want to believe in them,” she whispered, “but...it’s hard...I just...it’s hard, that’s all.”

She let him lift her chin, his eyes soft as he held her own, “Hey, I am the last person to tell you that you can’t be cautious or a cynic, you know? I see a lot of the realities in the world, but there are still some things I believe in.”

“I want to believe in them, too,” Elliot whispered, smiling when he leaned forward to kiss her red nose.

“I’ll make you believe in them,” he whispered, and for a moment she thought he was really going to kiss her, finally, right here in her favorite park, and she felt her entire body trembling at the very thought, but he didn’t, instead he shifted his arms, drawing her into his embrace, holding her and she rest her face on his chest, his heartbeat steady under her ear as she pressed into his thick coat, soft and smooth under her cheek as she closed her eyes, savoring this moment.

_Yes, please, make me believe._

* * *

Elliot was lying in bed, her comforter pulled up to her chin, smiling as they had their normal bedtime conversation...

 **Elliot:** So, yes, that was how my family decided to celebrate my birthday—it was so embarrassing!

 **Ryosuke:**  I wish I had been there to see that!

 **Elliot:** OMG I am so glad you weren’t!

 **Ryosuke:**  I’ll be there next year! I put your birthday in my calendar so it will remind me!

 **Elliot:** Great.

 **Ryosuke:**  (๑¯ਊ¯)σ л̵ʱªʱªʱª

* * *

 

The next day was nothing short of a blur for Elliot as she had two surgeries that morning. She’d taken a hot shower and then put on fresh scrubs afterward, thankful that her schedule wasn’t very full for the afternoon.  She’d just had a text conversation with Ryosuke about how Chinen had created a list with baby names for when he and Saya have their first child—lamenting the fact that he didn’t know if he wanted a boy or a girl first.  

_Saya’s in for it with that one!_

She was sitting at her desk, feet propped up, reading one of her romance novels, hidden behind a historical book cover that featured a samurai warrior when her phone lit up from the front desk. She still hid what she was reading as a matter of habit, and she absently wondered if she’d ever stop doing that.

She reached over to answer the phone, “Dr. Meadows.”

“Dr. Meadows,” Miki’s voice seemed terse, her words clipped, aggravation clear in her tone, “There’s a situation in the front that you need to take care of _, please_.”

“I’ll be right there,” she dropped the phone back down, pushing herself off the desk and making her way down the corridor toward the door that led to the front waiting room. There was a blur of action to the side and she glanced around to find Saya and Mao banging into each other and slamming one another into the wall as they tore down the hallway toward her.

Quite used to their erratic behavior, she stepped forward into the alcove that led to the front, glancing down the other side of the hallway as they stumbled past her, watching as they bounded back toward her, nearly slamming into her, breathless, wild-eyed, and practically vibrating with excitement.

Elliot stared at them, then shrugged, eyebrow raised, “Do I want to know what you two hyper puppies are on about?”

“Yes!” they both exclaimed excitedly as Mao brushed past her to open the door and Saya grabbed her shoulders, turning her to push her out the doorway.

She started to protest, reaching to grab Saya’s hands but stopped abruptly at the sight awaiting her as she stepped into the front reception area.

“What…wh—wait, what is going on here?” Her eyes moved across the room filled with flowers, all held by different boys, her eyes darting to Miki who shook her head, shrugging before she sat back down and pointedly ignored everything that was happening.

“Dr. Meadows,” one of the boys stepped forward, a bundle of white roses held in a beautiful vase in his hands as he bowed to her, “We are here to deliver these flowers to you. Where should we put them?”

“Wh…where should you put…th..them?”

“In here is fine,” Saya spoke quickly, moving over to exam room 5 and opening the door, “We don’t have any patients scheduled for this room today.”

Elliot’s eyes were wide, while she watched the boys move across the space, walking into the exam room, and then coming back out empty handed. She jumped when Mao reached over and lifted her chin, her teeth snapping together as she tried to figure out what was happening.

One of the boys approached her, holding out an envelope, presenting it to her and just like that they all left, the door swinging closed as the last boy exited, and then Elliot stared at them as they all gathered, appearing to be very excited on the sidewalk in front of the clinic, laughing and goofing off.

Elliot was still dumbfounded.

She blinked, looking down at the envelope in her hand, turning it over to see her name printed in a beautiful handwriting she’d come to love with all her heart.

“Oh my God, what did he  _do_?” she whispered softly, looking back up at the crowd of boys, which she realized now were all Juniors from Johnny’s, who were just turning the corner to go down her street in a large crowd.

“Open it!” Mao laughed when Elliot jumped, having been lost in her thoughts, forgetting where she was.

Elliot nodded, taking a deep breath, then moved over to Miki, leaning over the counter, “I’m sorry that your work was disrupted by this, Miki, I will ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Whatever,” Miki snapped, not even looking up.

Elliot looked over at Mao who just shrugged, and then pointed to the side where Saya was standing at the door to exam room 5 gesturing wildly for her to come to her. Elliot glanced around the waiting room nervously, glad to see that there were no patients waiting while this was happening.

When she stepped into the room, the other two girls following her in, closing the door, and to her it was as if she was walking into a sea of white roses—some in tall glass containers, others in short round ones, the many vases ornate and sparkling, some with hearts and other swirls and patterns on them. 

There wasn’t a bare spot anywhere in all of the area apart from the immediate area where she was standing by the door. Her hand grazed across the roses closest to her, the soft velvet gentle on her skin as she realized these were those same roses that he’d given her before, she’d know them anywhere—they were the most exquisite roses she’d ever seen—they had taken her breath away the first time she received them, but—this…this was more than breathtaking.

“Open it,  _please_ ,” Saya couldn’t control her excitement as she tapped on the envelope, and Elliot nodded absently, moving to the corner to sit on the bench there, thankful that she could pause a moment, as she was feeling a little overwhelmed.

The girls moved through the flowers, pulling cards off each bundle, giving Elliot time to herself to open the envelope, trying to be mindful to her feelings. Elliot’s hands were shaking as she ripped the flap open, pulling out a card that seemed like as if it were handmade, her hand running across the red ink as she took in the design. Two fingerprints pressed together to form a heart, with the words “Fairy Tales Can Come True” printed underneath, and as she looked closer she knew it was certainly handmade as the writing was Ryosuke’s—the painted strokes very clear, very concise, but she could tell because he still made certain symbols in his own unique way despite the lettering being very formal on the card.

She smiled, her finger tracing the heart shape, realizing she was holding a treasure, as he’d undoubtedly used his own fingerprints to make the design. She slowly opened the card, her hand fluttering up to her chest as her breath caught when she read the words printed within.

 

 

* * *

  

_My dearest Elliot,_

_Happy late birthday!_

_I met you the first time a few weeks before your birthday, but I didn’t even know it until you mentioned it last night.  I realized that I wanted, no, actually I **needed**  to make sure you knew without a doubt how very grateful and fortunate I feel that you were born into this world._

_I hope you enjoy these roses, there’s a dozen for every year you have graced this earth—one for every month you’ve been alive! Plus, each of these most certainly represents something I absolutely adore about you—292 of them to be exact, in case you need confirmation—oh, and before you go taking these roses to the rehab center, I have made arrangements for roses to be delivered there every month on the day of your birth, so each 14 th there will be a gift from you of fresh roses for the staff to decorate the tables with and for the children to use in their crafts._

_Yes, Chii-chan told me, and I am touched by your generosity, but please, for me, keep these until they are fading, and then I’ll help you make something beautiful out of them. Certainly, nothing that would compare to your beauty, but something you can keep forever._

_Happy birthday a little late, precious girl, and please accept this as the first effort to demonstrate to you that fairy tales are real, that love at first sight isn’t just a dream, and that magic is still all around us—dreams can come true—and if you believe, I’ll see to our ‘happily ever after’._

_I promise to make you believe again._

_Yours always,_

_Ryosuke_

_PS I can’t wait until tomorrow!_

 

* * *

 

Elliot blinked rapidly, her eyes going over the words again, scoffing that he thought he could name that many things to “adore” about her, and then she felt the warmth of his words settle across her skin like a mantle, fluttering like butterfly wings against her heart—because she knew, he would certainly try. She blinked away the mist that threatened to spill out, waving the card to fan cool air onto her face, taking a deep breath. Her eyes landing on Saya and Mao who were standing watching her with huge grins on their faces, practically vibrating with excitement.

“You’re gonna want to look at these,” Mao gushed, reaching forward to hand Elliot the cards she’d gathered off the roses, followed by Saya doing the same thing.

“What in the world,” Elliot looked at the first card, at the top there was a small sentence that said “I adore you because you are:”

_Short_

_Sweet_

_Caring_

_Kind-hearted_

_Amazing_

Her eyes widened as she read the card, twelve words in all—then another—

_Thoughtful_

_Happy_

_Generous_

_Compassionate_

Shifting through the cards to find that each of them held twelve words on it—

_Smart_

_Graceful_

_Beautiful_

_Optimistic_

Each of the words flowed through her mind, wrapping around her heart, weaving itself onto her very soul—

_Truthful_

_Trusting_

_Trustworthy_

_Sincere_

She felt the flustered state take over, tears dripping down her cheeks—

_Tender-hearted_

_Talented_

_Successful_

_Unique_

She couldn’t believe all the words he’d written, really, there were 292 of them and she couldn’t even comprehend it, her eyes drifting closed as the tears fell heavily from her overwhelming emotions. Some of the cards were prefaced with “Things I adore about you are...” and he’d listed words like ‘your beautiful eyes’, ‘how small your hands are’, ‘your smile’, ‘the color of your hair’, ‘the way you sigh when you’re content’, and many other words that felt like music to her heart and soul.

When she opened her eyes, laughing a teary laugh, Saya held out one more card, gesturing to the vase of roses that Mao was holding—this vase held six white roses and five red roses.

Curiously, she looked down at the card that Saya had handed her—

_I adore you because you are..._

_Romantic_

_Creative_

_Brilliant_

_Hopeful_

_Poetic_

_Amusing_

_Confident_

_Loved_

_Loved_

_Loved_

_Loved_

_Loved_

There was an arrow at the bottom of the last word, indicating for her to turn the card over, and when she did there was another note written there—” _I’m sorry to repeat the last word, but I can’t seem to think of any other word since the day I met you—five months doesn’t seem like a long time, but to me it feels like a lifetime._ ”

Her eyes landed on the five red roses, one for each month since they’d met, and her mind was frantic as the word ‘love’ played in her mind. Was it possible to love someone in such a short time? Could that be what the feeling was? She’d spent a whole lot of her life attempting to nail her feet down to the ground to “keep her head out of the clouds” as her mother liked to call it—and yet, suddenly so many things that she’d always felt were true seemed like they could actually be true.

Love, romance, being swept off your feet—they all seemed like fairy tale fantasies until now—until she was sitting in a room full of 292 roses, the fragrance thick in the air, the words he’d written, so many perfect words, everything about this…it screamed “dreams do come true”!

“So,” Saya mused, her eyebrow arching as she looked around the room, and Elliot glanced at her, eyes still misty with tears, expecting her to ask about the card or something, “What are you doing with all these roses?”

Elliot couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up as she thought about her small apartment filled with all of these flowers, but then her mind drifted to Ryosuke’s words—“something you can keep forever”, smiling broadly, and nodding her head, “I’m taking them all home with me tonight…”

Looking over the flowers, her heart swelled, and she was struck with one thought besides the concern of how she was actually going to get the flowers to her home.

_I think I might be starting to believe._


	8. Technically

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Exam Room 5  
> Pairing/Relationship: Yamada Ryosuke x OC/Elliot  
> Rating: PG-15  
> Warnings: Sick/Dying Animals  
> Genre: Romance/Fluff, slight Angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE NOTE: *this chapter features a surgery on a dog--though it is not graphic some medical terms are mentioned and referred to.
> 
> Teaser:  
> She shoved her toes into his leg when he grabbed her calf, squeezing it tightly, “That’s not even funny.”
> 
> “It’s a little funny,” she exhaled a long breath, giggling softly despite herself.
> 
> “It’s not,” he responded with a cheeky grin, pulling on her leg, her body sliding down the arm of the couch she’d had her back resting against as he dragged her toward him, his other hand grabbing her other leg.
> 
> “Ryosuke!” she squealed, her arms flying frantically in the air, and then he sat up, his hands snapping forward to grab her sides and tickle her which resulted in her legs flailing every direction and her body twisting violently as she tried to get away.
> 
> “I give! I give! It’s not funny, it’s not funny,” she gasped, her hands slapping at his.
> 
> He released her, dropping back onto the couch with a smug grin, “That’s what I thought.”
> 
> She kicked him lightly with her foot as she adjusted back to sitting, “You know what they say?”
> 
> “I can’t wait for you to tell me.”
> 
> “Payback is hell,” she raised an eyebrow, leveling her eyes at him.

**The song featured in the chapter is Automatic by Castro: This is the acoustic version, if you’d like to hear the original you can listen to it[HERE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coDLLGzXS1k)**

 

 

 

* * *

 

##  **January 20, 2017**

**Elliot:**  (ᴗ˳ᴗ) zzz I’m going to bed…I just wanted to say goodnight and tell you to have sweet dreams

 **Ryosuke:**   ( ˘ ³˘)♥ I am going to have the  _sweetest dreams_  ever since tomorrow is a  **PERFECT** ~~LY~~   ~~normal~~   **day with** ~~out~~   **something extraordinary happening**   ~~at all~~!!!!

 **Ryosuke:**  (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

 **Elliot:**  (´∀｀)♡ Ahhhh could you possibly be sweeter?

 **Ryosuke:**   Nope. ((´д｀)) I’m maxed out on my sweetness level—I can’t possibly get any sweeter. I think we’ll probably need to splurge for an expansion if you want to add any more sweetness to me.

 **Ryosuke:** ╭(♡･ㅂ･)و ̑̑

 **Elliot:**  Lol (｀_´)ゞ Okay—I’ll start saving now…how much does this ‘expansion’ cost anyway?

 **Ryosuke:**  Hmm…it varies from person to person, but…I think the kind of ‘end-game’ expansion I’d be aiming for would be pretty expensive

 **Ryosuke:**  (´꒳`∗)

 **Elliot:  ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**  Really? (⊙.☉)7 What makes your expansion so expensive?

 **Ryosuke:**  It traditionally has a diamond in it

 **Ryosuke:**  *｡✰✧*♡〜٩(^▿^)۶〜♡*✧ ✰ ｡*

 **Elliot:**   ♡´･ᴗ･`♡ ᵒᵐᵍᵎᵎᵎ

 **Ryosuke:**  Of course, you should save your money up for the ‘family’ expansion, I’ll take care of the ‘sweetness’ one!

 **Ryosuke:**  (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

 **Elliot:**  I see, I see…well, we’ll put them both down on our planners huh?

 **Elliot:**  (/^.^(^.^*)>

 **Ryosuke:**  Yep, yep! Go to bed sleepy-head!

 **Ryosuke:**  (◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦)♡

 **Elliot:**  Yawn! I am, I am! ( ˘ ³˘)♥ Haha

 **Elliot:**  (Ɔ ˘⌣˘)♥(˘⌣˘ C) 

 **Elliot:**  ? /(@ﾟﾍﾟ@)

 **Elliot:**  Should we say anything or not

 **Ryosuke:**  No. ( ´△｀)

 **Ryosuke:**  Don’t say anything.

 **Elliot:**  Okay. (　ﾟдﾟ)

 **Elliot:**  (￣ω￣) I’m not saying anything, except that tomorrow I’ll be having a perfectly normal day.

 **Ryosuke:**  Me too. (∗´꒳`) Completely normal. Nothing special at all.

 **Elliot:**  Same. o(^▽^)o

 **Ryosuke:**  We live such exciting lives.

 **Elliot:**  I know right?

 **Elliot:**  Lol

 **Ryosuke:**  (。・艸-。)-☆　ｗiйκ

 **Elliot:**  Anyhoo, sleep sweet!

 **Ryosuke:**  Sleep the sweetest, my dearest!

 **Ryosuke:**   ( ๑ ᴖ ᴈ ᴖ)ᴖ ᴑ ᴖ๑)

 **Elliot:**  (◦˘ З(◦’ںˉ◦)♡

* * *

## 

##  **January 21, 2017**

Elliot had done exactly what the two of them had agreed on.

She had woken up this morning, acting as if nothing important at all was happening, going about her morning routine in the exact way she normally would—though she did internally rebel against the idea of staying in her pajamas when Ryosuke was coming to her house to spend the day with her, especially she hated that her hair was up in a sloppy sleep-mussed ponytail.

She didn't really believe in hexes or bad luck per se, but at this point she wasn't willing to risk  _anything_...not even a little bit, so she'd purposefully avoided the mirror so far to stop herself from checking her appearance. If something did go wrong and cause them not to be able to spend the day together, she'd at least be guilt free. This way, she'd know if something jinxed the date then it wouldn't be _her_  fault for putting on different clothes or fixing her hair, so remain in her grey kitten onesie with footies and messy bed-head she did.

_I should have thought about that last night._

_You’re so dumb, you couldn’t have slept in jeans and a cute top._

Whatever else her mind was going to say was stalled by the knock on the door, causing her stomach to flip-flop and her hands to tremble. 

_He's here._

_This is happening!_

She took a deep breath, laughing when Sassy went over to the door and sat down expectantly. She really didn't know how Sassy knew Ryosuke by his knock, but she'd always believed that animals had a super special sense that humans lacked...something like a 'good' detector so to speak--and if that were even partially true--given Sassy's less than kind response to the average person--then Ryosuke was the kindest person of all.

She thought that Sassy was certainly right as far as her own experiences were concerned, she moved over to the door, peeking out to see Ryosuke standing there, smiling, and she pulled the door open, a wide smile on her face as she squealed, “You’re here!”

“Don’t say anything,” he hissed, his eyes glittering with humor, “I haven’t made it inside the apartment yet!”

“Oh!” she nodded, “Right, right!”

She shuffled to the side, gesturing her arm widely to invite him in. He walked into the entryway, and she stomped down her shy nerves as he looked at her expectantly.

"Oh!" she pointed to the mat by the door, "You can...put your," her eyes fluttered down, taking in his loose-fitting plaid pajama pants, white t-shirt, and blue sweater, and she couldn't help but laugh when they reached his feet, "...your  _fuzzy_   _slippers_  right there!"

He laughed then, toeing off his slippers one at a time and pushing them onto the mat, his eyes shifting to apprise her form, a slow smile playing on his lips, as he tilted his head, “Turn around.”

Elliot looked at him quizically and then twisted to the side and he laughed softly, “I can’t believe it has a tail.”

Elliot glanced down, and then giggled, admitting, “I didn’t change, but I really wanted to.”

“I’m glad you didn’t, you look positively adorable,” he mused as Elliot reached over to take one of the bags from his hands, rolling her eyes as she dismissed his words, peeking down into it, then glancing back up at him, "What's this?"

"Dinner!" he smiled, a tinge of blush painting his cheeks, "...or well, it will be! I thought I'd make dinner for us tonight, so we could just...stay in?"

She smiled at him, and he seemed somehow shy for a moment and then she laughed, "I think that sounds just about perfect! Staying in and  _YOU_ cooking!"

They both laughed and then she came up short as he turned to look into her living room, his eyes moving across the space, and she wasn't sure she'd ever felt so self-conscious in her whole life as he looked at who she really was--as there was no doubt that she couldn't hide the truth now that he was inside her home. The color of paint, the fabric of her sofa, the pictures on her wall, the handmade afghan on the recliner, the cat shaped statues, and myriad of other items placed throughout the space surely revealed far more of who she truly was than any biography ever could. Not to mention that everything felt a little cluttered thanks to the dozens of vases filled with roses covering every surface imaginable.

Elliot laughed nervously, gesturing outward, "At least I can blame you for all the flowers!" 

He grinned next to her, shrugging, "Not remotely sorry for it either!"

She cleared her throat, glancing over as his eyes shifted to look at her, "Relax," he smiled, somehow understanding her feelings, and she felt her nerves soothed by his words, "It’s exactly what I was expecting," he laughed, stepping into the living room, "...everything is so…so…you!"

She somehow wished she could see the space as he saw it, as a person learning who she was through her belongings, she shrugged, "I don’t know what that means."

"It means it all very cute and adorable and  _you_ ," he laughed as he leaned over to kiss her cheek, then smiled broadly, "Kitchen?"

"Oh! Of course," she moved in front of him, gesturing for him to follow her around the corner to the kitchen, pausing for him to walk in first.

He grabbed the bag from her as he passed by, moving into the kitchen, “Is it okay to put some of this in your fridge?”

“Sure,” she shrugged, leaning against the counter as she watched him set the bags down, digging an assortment of products out and then shifting to open the refrigerator.

“ _Oh my God, Elliot!_ ”

He twisted to look over his shoulder at her, discovering her wide eyed and confused, "Elliot! How have you survived this long?!"

"What do you mean?" she tilted her head, confused by his question.

"I don’t see any vegetables in your fridge, or…I mean…" he stepped out of the way to open the door wider, "Honestly,  _where_  is the food?"

“Ah…I…it’s…I just…" she hedged, wanting to force him to close the door.

His eyes narrowed as he studied her, and then he sighed, "Don’t tell me?"

He reached up to open the freezer, groaning when he saw the stacked up frozen convenience meals there.

"I’m _fine_. My goodness…" Elliot laughed, shifting over to shut the freezer door, grabbing the containers from him and sitting them on the shelf in the fridge, and then closing the door, "You need to calm down."

Ryosuke's eyes were wide as he spoke, "I just don’t know how healthy you can be eating this food all the time."

"Oh my gosh, just put a sock in it, Yamada!" she shoved him lightly with her hip as she moved past him to look into the bags he'd brought, wondering what he was making, her voice dismissive, "I am alive and between the two of us I think I know a thing or two about health and wellness and such--contrary to what the world thinks, I actually  _did_ go to medical school--and I have the fancy letters next to my name to prove it! Don’t get me started on the fact that I studied more than most doctors who treat humans, okay!? I eat just fine, honestly, I just haven’t been to the store in a few weeks!"

By the time she'd ended the rant she'd turned around to look at him, discovering his eyes wide, and she felt a little flustered, trying to not smile when he suddenly burst out laughing.

 _No one_  ever talked to him like that and he was so sincerely glad that she felt so comfortable that she could, he shuffled quickly across the kitchen floor, putting his arm around her waist and dragging her to him, his smile full of mischief, “Listen up, Meadows, I get to worry as much as I want to about you and your health, you got that?”

"Is that right?" she smiled, drawing her hands up to his shoulders.

"It's absolutely right," the words ended up a whisper, and for a moment there was a strange static in the air between them, and then he blinked and somehow the spell felt broken, his hands moved, pulling her into a hug as he whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad I'm actually here."

He sighed softly as he buried his head into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. She wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes as she memorized the moment, the feelings, the emotions, "I'm so thankful for you being here, too."

* * *

 

They'd spent the afternoon talking about all sorts of stupid subjects, guessing things about each other and telling stories about their childhood, families, and quirky things no one else knew--something neither of them had ever really done, despite having many friends—it wasn’t purposeful, but they'd never just really cared to share the more intimate details about their lives with them.

She supposed Saya knew her the best now, and for him he’d decided Yuri was the only one who knew him very well, though both of them had to admit that neither of their friends knew as much as they’d come to know about one another at this point in their relationship.

Still, they were both surprised when there were so many new revelations after the many months of questions and answers they’d participated in.

* * *

 

"So...then, they made me carry Dai-chan--he was the  _ugliest_  thing you'd ever seen walking out in this wedding dress, right? And I had to carry him like a bride--it was absurd."

"I didn't see that part," Elliot took a mental note to ask Yuri about it, "...but I  _did_ see gifs of  _you_  in a wedding dress...."

"You're kidding me?!" Ryosuke shook his head, his eyes wide, "Oh my gosh, that's so embarrassing! Please...you have to promise to never look up the SK episodes."

Elliot nodded her head like she would be very good and not do it, but what he didn't know was that she'd most certainly seen the infamous episode he didn't want her to see thanks to Yuri sending a link to her. She'd intended to keep a straight face and change the subject, but the image flashed through her mind of him and his discomfort and she absolutely couldn't stop herself, bursting out into laughter, her eyes widening when she snorted softly, and Ryosuke just watched her, his face completely blank, the name rolling off his lips like a curse, "Yuri!" 

He continued acting dejected, crossing his arms, hissing, "What did he do?"

She waved her hand, "No, no, no...really don't be upset, it's not like that!"

"I know him, and it's  _always_  like that." 

She laughed harder at his tone, trying to calm down but she couldn't seem to make herself stop, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" 

He laughed softly, shaking his head, "I guess there was no keeping things from you...which episode was it?"

"The one where you  _lost the bet with him_..." Elliot whispered and the promptly burst out into laughter again, the words spoken between fits of giggles, "...but your face...when Jelica began dancing to 'Come On A My House' with you, and then..." she could hardly breath for the laughter, her face pink and her hand fluttering against her chest, "And when they dressed you up! Oh, my gosh, I nearly died!"

Ryosuke was doing his best to act angry, but it was very hard given the fact that she was insanely adorable in her fit of laughter, and all he really wanted to do was ensure that he could  _always_  see her smile.

She shoved her toes into his leg when he grabbed her calf, squeezing it tightly, “That’s not even funny.”

“It’s a  _little_  funny,” she exhaled a long breath, giggling softly despite herself.

“It’s not,” he responded with a cheeky grin, pulling on her leg, her body sliding down the arm of the couch she’d had her back resting against as he dragged her toward him, his other hand grabbing her other leg.

“Ryosuke!” she squealed, her arms flying frantically in the air, and then he sat up, his hands snapping forward to grab her sides and tickle her which resulted in her legs flailing every direction and her body twisting violently as she tried to get away.

“I give! I give! It’s not funny, it’s not funny,” she gasped, her hands slapping at his.

He released her, dropping back onto the couch with a smug grin, “ _That’s_ what I thought.”

She kicked him lightly with her foot as she adjusted back to sitting, “You know what they say?”

“I can’t  _wait_  for you to tell me.”

“Payback is hell,” she raised an eyebrow, leveling her eyes at him.

“I don’t think you could tickle me if you tried,” he mused.

“What makes you think so?” Elliot raised an eyebrow at the level of confidence his words held.

"I’d stop you before you could touch me,” he stated in a very matter of fact way, lifting his arm up to draw up his shirt sleeve and then flexed his arm, his muscle tightening up, his chin tilting up as if he’d just played his ace card.

She knew he didn’t miss the moment her eyes widened slightly at the aforementioned ‘god-like arm muscles’—which she hadn’t seen herself until this moment, though she did her very best to smooth her face out, the way his lips curled into a knowing smirk proved he knew exactly what she was thinking.

She couldn’t help the smile that played at her lips, and then she leaned forward, her voice teasing, “I didn’t say anything about  _tickling_.”

“Ohhh…ohhhhhhhhohoho…I see…” he laughed, shaking his head, “I can’t imagine what you have in mind—but I feel like we should probably negotiate at this point.”

“Oh,  _now_  you want to negotiate, is that how it is?” Elliot leaned back, her foot stabbing his leg lightly, “That’s really not how this works.”

“Isn’t it?” he reached down and grabbed her ankle, holding her foot still, “I don’t see why not.”

“I am not sure what you have to negotiate with, Yamada, the fact is, you’re the one who tickled me…”

“I have  _plenty_  to offer,” he smiled his most disarming smile, tilting his head down, and then ran his hand across her foot, then up her calf slowly until he reached behind her knee, her eyes moving from his to look down at his hand, and then without her permission her entire face bloomed red from the heat of blush spreading across her cheeks.

Ryosuke burst out laughing as he realized how flustered he’d made her, certainly not _completely_  intentionally, but he didn’t mind that he had that effect on her, and she grabbed the pillow that was between her and the back of the couch, burying her face in it, a string unintelligible words lost in the fluff as she shook her head, drawing her legs up under her, as she finally muttered, “You win, you win.”

Ryosuke scooted across the couch until he was directly in front of her, wrapping his arms around her and rocking her gently, laughing softly as he spoke, “I wasn't thinking of  _that_..."

"Whatever!" Elliot laughed, allowing him to drag the pillow away from her face, her eyes wide when she realized how close he was to her, the laughter cut off immediately.

"Wh-what  _were_  you thinking?" she whispered softly, mesmerized by his eyes, how beautiful they were so close-up.

"That... _technically_...we're on our date..."

He smiled, his fingers drifting up her arm to touch her cheek softly, "So...I think I'd have a  _little something_  to offer given that fact..."

Elliot understood immediately,  _the kiss_ , and part of her thought maybe she should protest, maybe that's the expectation, but at the same time, she didn't  _want_  to, she had waited so long, her voice was confident, yet soft and shaky when she spoke, her eyes unblinking, "I-I'd take the offer."

She thought he'd laugh and she'd have time to think, to somehow prepare, but suddenly he was there, his lips barely touching hers, his eyes still somehow connected to hers. Her mind was racing, and when it finally caught up, her hands lifted, touching his cheeks, as his eyes fluttered closed, the warmth of Elliot's lips brushing against his own.

They’d barely had a moment of touch, almost to the point it could hardly even be called a kiss, when he jumped from the loud sound in the room and felt a sudden rush of air, opening his eyes to find himself kissing the empty space in front of him. His head jerked to the side when he heard movement, finding Elliot across the room looking down at her phone which had apparently made the ungodly noise.

"Ah..." he leaned back, trying to not laugh at the fact that she was running out of the room, not  _exactly_  the response he'd hoped for in response to their attempted first kiss. She came barreling out of what he had to imagine was her bedroom, hopping around as she tried to slip on her boots, rushing over to the entryway to open the closet, digging in there as she called out, "It's an emergency!"

Ryosuke snapped to attention, understanding flooding through him as he realized that was what the tone from her phone was indicating. He stood up quickly, moving to the foyer, his hands grabbing Elliot's arms when she nearly ran into him in her haste.

"I have to go," she murmured, putting on her sweater, "I'm so sorry, Ryosuke!"

He laughed softly, toeing on his slippers, opening the door as she rushed past him, turning to look at the door, and then him as he stepped out into the hallway with her, blinking in confusion, "Where are you going?"

"With you," Ryosuke shrugged, locking her door, holding up her keys which she'd forgotten.

She grabbed the keys from him, "But...you're in your pajamas!"

"So are you!" he responded immediately, gesturing to her form, "This is still our date--I'm not staying here by myself, and I am certainly  _not_  going home. I can at least drive you there and wait for you until you're done.  _Technically_ , we'll still be together."

Elliot smiled, grabbing his hand as he pulled the door closed, dragging him down the hallway.

* * *

 

They'd arrived at his car, some sporty model she didn't know anything about but could tell was entirely too expensive, and she wondered how much money an idol actually made, he opened the door for her, she dove in, quickly buckled up, and they were on their way.

He glanced at her when he heard the ringing from her phone where she'd clicked the speaker phone button, fiddling with the notebook she'd carried out of the house, which he realized held some notes and information she was clearly refreshing her mind on.

Saya's voice was filled with remorse, "I'm so sorry Boss! I know it's your date day! I can't believe this!"

"It's fine, Saya," Elliot glanced at Ryosuke her eyes holding an apology, "He's here, you're on speaker phone," she rolled her eyes when Saya called out 'HI YAMADA-SAN!' and then he laughed greeting her before Elliot cleared her throat getting their attention, "He's driving me there and will wait for me to finish up, we're ETA five minutes, report please."

"It's Taiki," Saya spoke quickly, "She started active labor about thirty minutes ago."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Elliot threw her arms up into the air, clearly frustrated and Ryosuke glanced at her wide eyed as she looked at him, shaking her head, whispering, "She's scheduled for surgery in just four more days!"

Ryosuke nodded, understanding, as he looked back to the road, navigating the directions to get her there as quickly, yet safely as possible.

"I wish I was..." Saya cleared her throat, her professional voice engaged, "She was into her nesting, and they’d noticed the pre-labor patterns but didn’t realize she’d transitioned until it was too late, she’s still actively licking and nesting even in pre-op—so I think she’s definitely ready—thinking they might not have had the right date. She’s showing no signs of dehydration, but we've already got her running fluids, she's been given the happy cocktail, and everything is fully prepped in the operating room...but..."

"But?" Elliot glanced up from her notebook, her eyes sharp on the phone in front of her, "...but what?"

"Dr. Maeda is at the hospital with his wife who was in a car accident this morning, she's going to be fine, but...he didn't want to leave her," Saya spoke quickly and then there was nothing but dead silence.

Ryosuke glanced over at Elliot who had her eyes clenched shut, and when she spoke her voice was shaking, "He...okay...can we...ahh...Saya!"

"I know, I know! I'm sorry, I tried to do a secondary call-in, but no one is responding, not to mention we're down by two techs from the neo team who are not going to be there either, and with Dr. Maeda not there to supervise and oversee the neo team...you’ll be…in charge of them as well…"

Elliot groaned, leaning against the door dramatically, slumping down, "Please, stop talking."

"I'm sorry, Boss," Saya whispered, and it was quiet in the car, Ryosuke was working to understand the situation, glancing over to find Elliot with her hands digging into her eyes, when Saya’s voice grew bold and loud, "But...c'mon! You can do this, I know you can, it's your time."

"It's  _not_  my time,” Elliot snapped, glaring at the phone, then sighed, “I’m sorry, Saya…I just…I wanted to  _choose_  my time," Elliot lamented, slamming the notebook shut, and glancing over at Ryosuke who was clearly concerned since even though he didn't know what they were talking about he knew it was something serious.

"I've never done a section by myself before,” she admitted to Ryosuke, who nodded, understanding better what she was feeling, glancing at her when she waved her hand in the air, “I've performed about thirty or so with supervision up until now...I just...I wanted to be ready."

"You  _are_ ready," Saya insisted, her voice fierce with determination, "You've got this."

Elliot's head dropped down, as she shook, trying to not freak out, trying to not cry--because she  _really_ wanted to have more experience before she did this kind of thing, before she became responsible for not just the mother's life, but especially the puppies since she would be overseeing their care from start to finish as well. She shook her head, taking a deep breath, "Okay, okay, who's on call for the phones?"

Saya groaned, "I know what you’re thinking, Boss, but it’s Miki…"

"Darn it! Of course, she is, she wouldn't stand in if it were her own mother dying at this point," she glanced over at Ryosuke, her expression apologetic, "She  _hates_  me because of you." 

He laughed, shrugging, thinking anything that got Miki worked up was probably worth it.

"Nope," Saya agreed, "Ultrasound showed six puppies, that will be three puppies per tech...it's not... _ideal_...but..."

"But survival just dropped by about twenty percent," Elliot filled in the silence.

" _He_ could help," Saya spoke softly.

"No." 

_Absolutely not._

Her eyes cut over to see Ryosuke looking at the road in front of him, his eyes flitting to hers and then away.

"He could just help with the pups," Saya spoke quickly, "We have Mao and Naoko working the neo unit, they both are very good, and Mao can give him a crash course--she and Naoko can handle any babies in stress, and he can do the hearty ones?"

Elliot's eyes hadn't left his profile, biting her lip before she spoke, already feeling plagued with guilt for even entertaining the very idea of him being a part of what could end up being a complete disaster, "Are you squeamish?" 

"I don't think...I mean," he glanced at her, one eyebrow raising slowly, "I don't know, to be honest" he tilted his head, "I would help though. I'd do my best to help."

"How are you on seeing gross stuff like blood and umbilical cords and such?" 

"My dog gave birth when I was growing up, I was pretty young, but I don't remember being too bothered by it," he spoke quickly, "So, I mean, I've seen dogs give birth before, and I know it's not exactly the same...but I'm not afraid to try--I think I can do it."

Elliot studied him for a moment, weighing her options, and then she narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure?"

"I want to help, Elliot," he smiled at her, reaching over to squeeze her hand lightly before returning it to the wheel, "Let me help."

She wanted to say no, but the thought of losing two puppies because she wouldn't let him at least try wouldn't set right for her, "Alright. Saya, let Mao know the situation so she can be ready to give him a quick run through--they've already prepped the in-suite since I'm the only doctor, correct?"

"Yes, they have, and I'll take care of it now."

"We're nearly in the parking lot," Elliot threw the notebook into the floor, sitting forward in the seat.

"We're waiting for you," Saya spoke, disconnecting the call.

Elliot watched Ryosuke as he navigated the last block and then turning into the parking lot to pull up as close to the door as he could, her voice soft, "You don't have to, you really don't ha--"

He put the car in park quickly, turning toward her, his hand reaching up to touch her cheek, "Elliot, I want to, now stop worrying about me and get in there and take care of your patient."

She smiled, grabbing his hand and kissing his palm quickly before she scrambled out of the car, running quickly to the door where Saya was waiting. Elliot rushed past her as she heard Saya greet Ryosuke, and then smiled to herself as she heard Mao already talking ninety-miles a minute to tell him what his role would be and how to handle the puppies.

Mao had literally given him a less than three-minute instruction on what his role would be and in reality, he wasn't too worried, it sounded simple and he was confident he could do it.  

Ryosuke watched as Elliot rushed to the screen beside him, Saya following her, as she spoke quickly. Elliot’s shirt flew across the space to the bench beside him. After a moment her pants flew out, too, and then she stepped out in pink scrubs, quickly tying the pants tight, while Saya jerked her hair down out of the ponytail and handed her the band.

Elliot’s eyes connected with Ryosuke’s somehow despite the chaos she was feeling connected to him, the song playing on the speakers in the clinic soft above them and her heart felt like it was beating double time.

> _I was lost at sea_
> 
> _You were an island_
> 
> _Like gravity, you were pulling me ashore_

He held her eyes with his own, as she reached up, grabbing her hair and smoothing it back, using the band to tie it quickly into a sloppy ponytail.  

> _I was a refugee, you were asylum_
> 
> _You shelter me and now I call you home_

Elliot felt drawn to him, stepping directly in front of Ryosuke, her eyes snapping to Saya who was looking at a chart, her eyes not leaving his as she spoke, “Does he have scrubs?”

“I’ll grab them,” she called out as she took off running.

> _Automatic, more than I ever imagined_
> 
> _And I'm stuck to you like static_
> 
> _Loving you is automatic_

Elliot turned back to look at him, taking his hands in her own, and then for a tiny moment, everything slowed down, and she took a deep breath, her words fast, her voice shaking, "I'm sorry you're here with me, but I'm also really not."

> _Just like magic, a mystery and I can't grab it_
> 
> _Everything I want, you have it_
> 
> _Loving you is automatic_

Ryosuke squeezed her hands, feeling them trembling in his own, and he wished he had wisdom to help her, to tell her she could do this, he believed it with all of his heart. Wishing more than anything, just this once she could see herself the way he saw her. How brilliant, how gifted she was...how capable...how amazing--but the words failed him.

> _I was a lonely soul  
>  _
> 
> _Searching the silence_
> 
> _You were a melody, a symphony of hope_

He shifted forward, drawing his hands out of hers, cupping her cheeks in his hands as he placed a soft, tender kiss on her forehead.

> _And all at once I realized_
> 
> _Everything inside has come alive_

He bent his head to look into her eyes, “Hey,” she smiled, her eyes wide, “You’ve got this.”

> _Automatic, more than I ever imagined_
> 
> _And I'm stuck to you like static_
> 
> _Loving you is automatic_

“I-I might not…” she bit her bottom lip between her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, whispering, “ _What if I don’t?_ ”

> _Just like magic, a mystery and I can't grab it_
> 
> _Everything I want you have it_
> 
> _Loving you is automatic_

 “You do,” he smiled, words passing between them, and he could feel her gathering strength, could see it drawing from the aura around them, and her eyes seemed to burn with a new light as he whispered, “I know you do.”

> _Like a spark ignites into a flame_

His hand shifted around her head to cup the back of her neck, then he drew her forward, his lips touching hers softly, her eyes popped open for a moment in shock before they fluttered gently closed as she melted at his touch.

> _Like an avalanche you can't contain_

Her hands moved to touch his shoulders lightly, his lips soft and smooth on her own, his fingers holding her tightly—and for a moment it felt like she was lost to her senses, to the way it seemed to spiral to the tips of her toes, the way his mouth felt so soft and the feelings being conveyed felt so pure and beautiful. From the way he held her, to the way his fingers felt on her skin, a blanket of tenderness spreading across her like a warmth destined to cover her entire being.

> _Like the sun will rise and fall, again and again_

She’d never felt more love, more cared for…more necessary, more important…more…more…more  _home_  than she felt in his embrace, than she felt in this moment. Ryosuke didn’t know where the courage had come from, where the gumption to just forge ahead and kiss this girl, right here—right now, but he didn’t care, because the moment his lips had touched hers it felt like all of the blurry lines in his world had suddenly snapped into perfect order. Like everything he’d ever been dreaming of could be found within her—her heart, her mind, her body, her soul— _her_.

_She’s all there is now._

All he’d ever want.

All he’d ever need.

She was his dream come true.

> _Automatic, more than I've ever imagined_
> 
> _And I'm stuck to you like static_
> 
> _Loving you is automatic_

Their first kiss at her house had happened so fast, neither of them would hardly count it, this one though, while it wasn’t filled with reckless abandon, or overwhelming passion, it was the kind of kiss that would sweep a girl off her feet like in the movies or the greatest stories written, the kind of kiss that seemed infused with the deepest sincerity of emotions, as if conveying the innermost guarded secrets of the soul…communicating in the mere seconds of this kiss.

Elliot couldn’t help but admit, that this was _real_ —it wasn’t a dream—it was her fairy-tale moment right in the midst of the chaos around them, a gift he’d given her, that he’d somehow orchestrated in a way that made her realize— _nothing mattered but him_. 

Not now, not ever again—all that there ever would be, all there ever could be— _only him_.

To both of them it seemed as if the world had simply refused to move forward until this had finally happened.

_I’m yours._

His soul seemed to speak.

_You’re mine._

Her soul seemed to respond.

_You’re mine._

His soul seemed to confirm.

_I’m yours._

Her soul seemed to answer.

 

When he pulled back, his lips so gentle, so tender as he withdrew from her, he smiled, and it was so beautifully confident, holding something new that perhaps had only just been awakened within him, and she couldn’t help but smile, the feeling equally emboldened within her, when he spoke, “I believe in you. I know you can do this,  _the woman I love can do anything_.”

> _Just like magic, a mystery and I can't grab it_
> 
> _Everything I want, you have it._
> 
> _Loving you is automatic._

Her fingers had trailed up to touch her lips, still tingling from the kiss, his taste lingering there, and then her eyes snapped to his, “You…you…love…” her finger shifted to point at herself, “… _me_?”

“Yes,” he laughed softly, repeating so she would surely understand, “Elliot, I love you,” he smiled, shaking his head as he simply  _couldn’t_ understand how she didn’t understand how very much he loved her.

“I love you, too,” she whispered, her expression bashful as the words made their way into the world around them easily, she’d thought before this moment it would be hard to say those words, to be honest about her feelings, but now that she was in the moment, it was the simplest thing she’d ever done, “I do…I really do love you.”

They both laughed then, because they just couldn’t seem to do  _anything_ normally, and here they were in the middle of a crisis sharing not just their first kiss, but their confession as well. 

They knew the truth though, that it was okay, wasn’t it? It was just fine for them to do things the way they did them because their romance was their own story and they were both actively writing it.

_Unique._

_Unpredictable._

_Ridiculous?_ Yes.

 _Theirs?_  Absolutely.

Elliot nodded, taking a deep breath, “Thank you for being here, I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

"I’m glad, too," Ryosuke smiled, his dimple adorable as he raised an eyebrow, his grin widening, " _Technically_ , we're still on our date after all."

"Right, you two can do all the gross couple stuff later," Saya snapped which made them both jump as she grabbed Ryosuke and guided him to the screen, ordering Elliot, “You! To the prep room!”

Elliot grabbed her cap as she walked in, placing it over her head, making sure all the hair was tucked in, and then moved to the scrub area. She pulled a mask out, lifting her hands to settle it on her face, pausing as she glanced back when Saya and Ryosuke came into the room together. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Ryosuke in the scrubs--they were red, probably a pair of Naoko's if she had to guess as they were a little baggy on him, and he looked as cute as he ever had.

"C'mere," she called out, stepping back across the room, and pulling out another cap, unable to control her laughter as she put it on his head, imagining if the fans could see their idol now. He laughed with her, reading her thoughts, his eyes twinkling as she tucked his hair in, then grabbed his hand to drag him to the sinks, pulling another mask out and handing it to him.

"Like this," she demonstrated how to put it on, and how to tie it, helping him adjust the metal over his nose to ensure a tight fit, "You wouldn't normally have to do this, as the neo team is usually in the adjacent procedure room, but since I'm the only doctor, I'll be in charge of both teams, so you'll be in the operating room."

His eyes were wide, but he nodded with confidence as she continued, "You won't have to be completely sterile, but you will need to scrub up because I'm not taking any chances, my overactive paranoia and all of that, first surgery jitters, right?"

He laughed with her as they both glanced to Saya who was looking down at the chart in her hands as she spoke, "Tamiko is in there, everything is done that we can do, we're less than seven minutes from go time once you enter the OR."

"Alright," Elliot stepped to the sink, pressing the foot pedal to turn on the water, nodding for Ryosuke to do the same, showing him how to open the sterile soap and brush.

Saya moved to the sink beside Ryosuke to scrub up as Elliot showed him how to wet his arms from fingertips to elbows, "It won't be as important for you, but to remain sterile from this point forward once I am done scrubbing I will not be able to lower my hands, and it is extremely important that you not touch me," he nodded quickly, and she smiled, "You'll be fine, but I'll have you go in first, Mao will guide you to where you'll be standing." 

He understood, watching her as she opened her brush and began the routine of washing her hands, getting lost in the normal pre-surgery prep, and when he cleared his throat, she glanced over, realizing, that he had no idea what to do, she dropped her brush into the sink, and turned, "Sorry!" 

He could tell she was smiling, and the joy in her eyes felt like it took his breath away, completely enthralled with how calm she suddenly was—like the predictable routine was soothing her, especially, when his entire body felt on edge, her voice soft, "I'll show you."

She opened his package, showing him how to use the tool to clean under his fingernails, and once they'd finished that, she reached over and took the sponge brush from his hand, running it under the water, then squeezing it, and then showed the result to Ryosuke who nodded. 

She reached to take his hand into her own, her hand deftly scrubbing the brush against his skin, his eyes moving from her hands to her mask face and back again, taking a moment to get his head sorted, because there was something so sweet and gentle about it, and honestly, if he were willing to admit it, just a little bit erotic about it.

He admonished himself, because he knew he needed to have his head in the game, and also knew that she certainly wasn’t thinking like that right now—so he had no reason to be so effected by her washing his hands, but when their eyes connected, she seemed to understand, shoving him a bit sideways and shaking her head, "Stop that!"

His eyes widened as he realized,  _maybe_  she  _was_  thinking a little bit like that right now, same as he was.

"I can't help it,  _you're too much_ ," he murmured softly, and then she dropped the sponge into the sink, grabbing a new package and pressing it into his hand, laughing as she grabbed a new one for herself and opened it, quickly cleaning under her nails and then looking over at him, "Do what I do."

She took the time to explain the process, why they went from fingers to elbow, how to count the motions, and how to scrub the palms, glancing over at him as he studiously scrubbed at his hands, proud of how much attention he was paying to the details.

He glanced up at her, smiling, and she couldn't help but ask, "You ready?"

He laughed then, taking a shuddering breath, admitting, "I'm a little nervous now."

Her eyes crinkled from her smile, and he felt soothed by the way she was projecting a calm peace, her voice soft and confident, "Ryosuke, everything’s going to be okay."

He nodded, trying to believe her, wanting to believe her, "I believe you."

"Good," she nodded her head to where Saya was heading to the OR door, "Watch how she enters."

Ryosuke watched as Saya backed into the door, her arms still held straight up in front of her as she pushed against it and then backed through it, carefully avoiding touching anything.

Elliot watched until she saw Mao approach the door, giving her a thumb’s up, and she smiled at him, wishing she could give him more confidence, "You're up--Mao will take good care of you from here."

He stood still for a moment, and she wondered what he might be thinking, but before she could worry, he glanced to her, his eyes bright, “Don’t worry, I don’t know anyone who has worked harder than you in the whole world, Elliot. You’re going to do great!”

He winked, starting to back toward the door, “I'll see you soon!"

She smiled, his words bolstering her spirit, nodding as she watched him move to the door, pressing his back against it and then entered the OR--Mao taking him quickly to the side where the neo unit was prepped, helping him put on his gown and clearly giving him some last-minute instructions.

"Okay," she sighed softly, closing her eyes for a moment, "You can do this, Elliot."

She nodded firmly, moving to the door and carefully entering the OR. It was, as always very quiet within the suite apart from the constant humming of the machines, the various beeps that told them the status of the patient without looking, certain tones that only the anesthesiologist listened for, others that were Elliot’s to monitor. 

Even so, the room was still quiet, as those were nothing but white noise to them at this point, all of the team members alert, waiting waiting for her to give instructions. She moved to the assistant who helped her dress in her gown, putting her gloves on, and then tied the gown in the back. 

Ryosuke couldn’t help but notice that it was an interesting transition, as everything about her seemed to slowly evolve from Elliot, the cute, sassy girl he loves, into Elliot, the professional that everyone was counting on, right before his eyes.

He watched, eyes wide, his breath caught in his chest, as he saw the way Elliot was suddenly in command of the room.

_This is her stage._

_This is where she dances._

_This is where she captivates the crowd._

He was mesmerized as he observed her go through the routine of checking the tools, whispering a few words to the anesthesiologist, and then she shifted into position with Saya standing beside her. 

Elliot glanced down to the sweet dog laying on the table, "Taiki, I'm here now," she cooed, knowing the dog probably couldn't hear her but it didn't matter, she always talked to them, "Let's meet your puppies, good girl."

Ryosuke could hardly handle seeing her with such a precious attitude, her eyes tender and gentled as she looked at the dog, and if he'd ever wondered how much care and compassion she had for the animals she took care of it was gone in an instant.

"Goal is  _five minutes_ ," she announced to the room, glancing nervously to Saya who nodded, and then Elliot confirmed, "She's had local?"

Ryosuke wondered what she meant by five minutes...surely she didn’t mean that she’d complete the surgery in five minutes? 

_That’s impossible._

"Yes," the anesthesiologist answered, "I'm ready to go, estimated forty to fifty seconds on your mark."

"Give me fifteen seconds, then you're free to go," Elliot answered, glancing to the girl who was situated in the far corner, who looked like an intern of some sort, but clearly not in a position to work in the procedure, "Do you have music for me?"

"I do," the girl answered, "Saya picked one--target for five minutes long and set the proper volume."

"Good, very good," Elliot nodded, turning back to face the operating table, nodding to the anesthesiologist to let her know she was ready, and then, with her hands still held in the same position as the last ten minutes, she closed her eyes.

Ryosuke wondered what she was thinking, what she might do here in the moments before the spotlight shined on her, as he had his own methods of silencing all the noise and gaining his focus before a performance.

_She’s beautiful in her stillness._

He glanced to the anesthesiologist, it was like he could see the woman counting, and then suddenly, her hands were in motion, flying as she prepped the dog and then began the anesthesia. 

Elliot's eyes popped open and she stared down at the dog, as Saya had ensured the drapes were wide, that the final wash was complete, and that everything was ready to go while she'd gathered herself, and now she was fixated on the dog's belly, her mind already drawing the knife, her hands aching to get started.

"She's out," the anesthesiologist announced, and things happened so quickly it was like a whirlwind that Ryosuke could barely keep up with.

"Count at five," Elliot announced, and then music filled the room, but if she noticed he couldn't tell, as her hand snapped to take the tool from Saya. Ryosuke's eyes widened as she instantly cut the straight line down the dog's abdomen, smooth, steady, and instantly, the flesh peeled open, and he realized that it wasn't at all what he thought he'd see, there wasn't some kind of gush of blood or anything, rather, it was just pink.

He was fixated on Elliot, on the way her movements were so fluid, so graceful—he knew that this kind of thing required skill, talent, but he knew now, that he’d really had no idea—he sincerely had no idea at all about what she did, and how she did it.

_She’s exquisite._

It was like a dance, smooth, coordinated, as Saya seemed to anticipate her needs before she had to say anything, and apart from the music in the room and the background noise of the monitors, there was silence, the two of them working together like a perfectly tuned machine without the need for words between them.

Ryosuke was glad to be far enough away to not see the details in reality, and also glad he could watch her eyes instead of her hands when she began to reach into the abdomen to retrieve the uterus which she quickly examined, and then drew out the first horn.

Ryosuke glanced around, his eyes darting from one person to another, embarrassment flooding him when he finally realized  _"Very, Very Happy"_  was the song that they were playing, and several of the attending were tapping their feet, his eyes snapping to Saya who just happened to glance up at the same moment, and he shook his head, laughing softly at her stunt.

She winked before she went back to pay attention to the procedure. 

"It's one of my favorites," Mao whispered, bumping into him as she laughed softly.

He nodded, flustered, whispering, "Thank you!"

He watched as Elliot took the scissors from Saya who spoke softly, "One minute," and then Elliot was cutting into the larger horn, carefully snipping the muscle to create an opening big enough to retrieve the puppies. She dropped the scissors onto a different table, and then carefully worked her fingers into the opening to extract the first one.

She drew it out, laying it on the draping, and Ryosuke wasn't sure what she was doing as her fingers carefully worked inside of the horn. Mao leaned over, whispering softly, "She's detaching the placenta."

"Oh," he nodded, not having even considered the details, his eyes fixated on the small wiggling sac that clearly held a puppy.

Mao look at him, her eyes shining and bright, clearly excited about this part of her job, and the other tech, Naoko, "Ready guys?"

Ryosuke nodded, not entirely sure it was true, but he had little choice, and then Mao grabbed a towel from the warming tray, quickly moving to stand beside Elliot. The moment she had the puppy's placenta disengaged, she lifted the puppy and placenta, moving her upper body to the side, her eyes catching Mao's, " _Don't move your hands up_ , stay low," to which Mao nodded, glad for the reminder as she always wanted to grab the puppies, nervous about the way they had to drop them to keep from contaminating the surgeon or the area.

"Puppy one is delivered," Elliot spoke in a matter of fact tone, as she turned to resume her work.

The moment the puppy was in her hands Mao rushed across the room, and Ryosuke watched as she cut the sac open, her hands working quickly as she cleared the puppies nose and mouth and began rubbing it's back to encourage it to take a breath. She tied off the cord and cut it, placing the placenta into a bag that was sitting across the table from where they were working.

“Wha—” Ryosuke started to ask her what they were doing with them.

Mao glanced over at him, her eyes lighting up as she seemed to measure him up, “I don’t think you really want to know that.”

“Huh?” Ryosuke didn’t understand what she meant, when Naoko leaned around him quickly to grab a towel from the warmer, causing him to jump, as he whispered, “The owners give it to the Mom, she  _eats them_ , it helps her bond with the puppies. Nature, man, it’s crazy, right?”

“Naoko!” Mao hissed, “I wasn’t going to tell him that!”

“Why not?” Ryosuke shrugged, “My family dog had puppies when I was younger, and the Mom ‘cleaned’ up the mess—I’m not surprised it is something you try to preserve even with assisted births like this.”

Mao stared at him for a moment, and then hummed softly, “You’re pretty okay,” she nodded, looking back down at the puppy.

“Glad I meet your approval,” Ryosuke mused, watching as Naoko stood poised by Elliot, his position the same as Mao’s had been, holding his hands low as Elliot dropped the next puppy into his hands. 

"Puppy two is delivered."

Naoko came back to the station, repeating the same actions, and then Mao looked over at him, "Your turn."

"Two minutes."

She grabbed his hand and put it on the puppy, "Rub him here, keep doing it until I get back."

"Okay!" Ryosuke did as she said, his eyes wide as he took in the tiny puppy, his hand moving carefully up and down his back as he stimulated him. He glanced over at Naoko who was wrapping his puppy up in a towel, reaching forward to lay it in the warming enclosure, glancing to Ryosuke, "That one's a spitfire!" then he turned calling out "Two is stabilized and nested!"

Ryosuke laughed, not completely clear, but he surely did understand that some puppies would no doubt begin as fighters and others a little more slowly, glancing down as his puppy made a sound, a tiny precious sound, and he felt his heart melt as he heard Elliot’s voice call out.

"Puppy three is delivered."

Mao returned next to him with another puppy, glancing at Ryosuke's puppy, "He's great, he's doing fine, when he cries for thirty seconds straight you can put him in the heater," she tilted her head to where the other puppy was, and Ryosuke nodded, smiling down at the puppy as it squirmed and fussed, counting in his head.

He glanced back over his shoulder to look at Elliot as she dropped another puppy into Naoko's hands, her movements fluid and precise.

"Puppy four is delivered."

After thirty seconds of his puppy crying actively, Ryosuke took him and wrapped him up, setting him carefully in the heater, to which Mao called out "One is stabilized and nested." 

He looked at Elliot and couldn't tell what she was doing, but after a moment she spoke, "Left horn is clear, four puppies removed, four placentas removed," and then he noticed the tech who had been in the corner the whole time typing notes on a computer based on what she was saying, understanding there was a high level of communication happening in the room that he'd barely noticed and that the tech must be taking notes of everything happening.

He watched as Saya handed her a new pair of scissors and she quickly cut into the other horn, carefully ensuring that she didn't harm the puppies within, and then she began the process of removing the next puppy. 

"Ryosuke!" Mao spoke from beside him, his eyes snapping to her as he heard the panic in her voice, "Go get the next one, we're in trouble here, go low, hold your hands in a cupping way like you're holding a baseball in them, don't rise up, don't go into her area, stay low and let her drop it down to you."

"O-okay," he felt his knees wobble as he grabbed one of the warm towels and moved over to stand beside Elliot, holding his hands as instructed, careful to keep them below where she would move to avoid touching her, and his eyes were wide as he watched her place the puppy on the drape and worked to remove the placenta. 

Standing on stage by himself with 50,000 people watching his every move, and being the sole source of entertainment?  _No problem!_ Catching a newly delivered puppy?  _TERRIFYING._

The second she'd affirmed the placenta was complete, she placed it with the puppy and picked them both up, twisting her body, and then she paused, jerking to a stop as her eyes met his, widening, "Ryosuke!"

"Drop it," he stated firmly, nodding to encourage her.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and then she released the puppy, and there was a split second where they both were holding their breath, and then he felt the weight of it hit his hands and he instantly turned, rushing the puppy over to Mao.

“Puppy five is delivered.”

Mao called out over her shoulder, "Four is in distress, unstable respiration."

"Three minutes."

Ryosuke watched as Naoko took the puppy he'd just retrieved, quickly cutting the sack, suctioning, and passing it over to Ryosuke to rub as he went back to puppy three.

Ryosuke immediately started to rub the puppy’s back, watching as Mao continued to work on four, while Naoko tended to three, Ryosuke's eyes flashing over to look at Elliot who was consumed with delivering the last puppy, not looking up when she spoke, "Sublingual dose of naloxone, don’t panic, we’ve got this, we're still in a good window Mao."

Mao had the ampule of drugs already in her hand, but she had to have permission from Elliot to give it to the puppy.

Ryosuke watched as Mao continued to tend to puppy four. 

"Puppy six is extracted," Elliot's voice called out, clearly unsure of what was going on at the neo unit.

"Go get the last one," Mao ordered, stopping Ryosuke's hand, as she began massaging both puppy three and four, "Hurry!"

He nodded, grabbing another towel and rushing across the room, where Elliot was working to remove the last puppy's placenta. 

He waited, holding his hands low, carefully making sure he wasn't in her range of motion, and once the placenta was released, she placed it with the puppy, carefully picking it up and turning, her eyes bright as she looked at Ryosuke, "Some first date, huh?"

He laughed softly as she dropped the puppy into his hands without hesitation this time, his voice filled with humor, his words surprising Elliot as he was so blunt in front of everyone there when he spoke, "In all fairness, it's my first date  _ever_ , I honestly have no basis of comparison."

There was a quiet moment as Ryosuke rushed back to the neo unit with the last puppy, and then Saya snickered followed by a loud snort, and then a giggle bubbled up from Elliot, and within moments the room was filled with laughter. Mao was laughing so hard she had tears rolling down her face as she placed puppy three into the warming enclosure, her other hand still rubbing puppy four.

Naoko took puppy six from Ryosuke, then handed him five to take care of while he stabilized the last puppy.

"Three is stabilized and nested," the words were strained with laughter as Mao spoke them.

Ryosuke couldn't help but laugh, because everyone was still giggling, and he appreciated how everyone was like a happy family, reminding him of the friendship he has with Jump.

He smiled when Elliot cleared her throat, her words clearly spoken with a smile, "Right horn is clear, two puppies removed, two placentas removed," she glanced over to the three at the neo unit, "Update from neo, please?"

"Puppies one, two, and three are responsive and stable, four is still unstable, and breathing is erratic, puppy five and six are responsive, but not yet stabilized."

Elliot called out something which Ryosuke didn’t understand because all he could hear were the cute little sounds his puppy was making as he continued to rub the puppy's back, and he couldn't help but smile, because he was so adorable. 

"Okay," Mao called out, reaching to retrieve the drugs, and then quickly administering them to puppy four.

He glanced over his shoulder as a conversation took place between Elliot and the anesthesiologist about how to handle the drugs, and then she went into a quiet world while she blocked out everything around her, and he saw an intensity in her he'd not seen before as she began the careful process of closing up the mother.

Mao glanced over to him, “Has he been talking for thirty seconds now?”

“There about,” Ryosuke nodded.

“Okay, wrap him and put him in the warmer,” she responded, going back to watch puppy four, as he rolled the puppy up in the towel and placed him carefully next to his siblings in the warming enclosure, as Mao called out over her shoulder, “Puppy five is stabilized and nested.”

Ryosuke turned to look at Elliot, who seemed to be completely engaged in working on the mother dog, bent forward at the waist, her hand moving quickly as she stitched her closed.  Elliot's head popped up, her hands pausing their work, looking at the anesthesiologist, "One minute, thirty seconds, then start bringing her out."

The woman nodded in understanding, and Ryosuke’s eyes widened as he watched Elliot’s hands move so quickly, with such precision it was hard to believe anyone could do something with such skill as she finished up the sutures.

“Puppy six is stabilized and nested,” Naoko called out as he leaned over to put the puppy into the warmer.

Elliot finished up the sutures, checking in with the anesthesiologist to make sure she was drawing back the drugs, but also giving her the proper post-surgery meds, staring down at Taiki, anxious for her to wake up. When she started to stir, Elliot felt like she could take a deep breath, her eyes blinking open sleepily, Elliot leaned over to look at her, “Good girl! You did  _good_ , Momma! Wait till you see your sweet babies!”

She talked to Saya about moving her to recovery, preparing her for nursing and being on standby with oxytocin if her milk didn’t let down within the hour, and getting the “to go” bag and information ready for the family.

Saya listened intently, then nodded, understanding.

“How’s four?” she called out to the others as she stepped to the side to give Saya access to the dog, slowly moving across the space toward the neo team. Ryosuke turned to look at her, their eyes connected, and he could tell she was concerned.

“Still struggling,” Mao responded without looking up, Naoko glanced over at Ryosuke, his brows furrowed, frowning, and Ryosuke couldn’t help but feel like there was a gigantic stone settled into the middle of his stomach.

Elliot moved to the corner to take off her gloves and gown quickly, then slipped on a fresh set, moving to the Neo unit to check in on four. When she got close, Mao shifted to the side, letting her slide into her spot and take over. Elliot worked quickly, checking the puppy over, then gesturing for Mao to take the other puppies to Saya, along with the bag so they could get them ready to take to recovery together.

Ryosuke wasn’t sure what he should do, watching as Mao and Naoko grabbed the puppies up and took them across the room, and then his eyes landed back on Elliot who had piled the towel with the puppy up, holding it very close to her chest as she moved her hand up and down her back, leaning her head over the puppy’s body, listening intently, her eyes closed.

"Is there anything I can do?" Ryosuke whispered.

"She may not have been viable," Elliot responded, trying to keep her voice smooth, her eyes opening and meeting his, "That happens."

She knew it sounded clinical, and she also knew that Ryosuke knew it was anything but that to her, but she couldn't afford to be emotional at this point, not while she was still in doctor-mode. 

Ryosuke stared at her, not liking the weight of the tiny creature in her hands seeming to have so much power over them, sadness flooding him, and he realized how hard this really was--to be responsible for such heavy moments of life and death—even when dealing with animals, maybe even especially dealing with them.

Elliot glanced at the clock, “Sometimes it can be a while, we don’t stop trying until after thirty minutes.”

She slowly opened the towel, and they both looked at the tiny, practically motionless puppy, so tiny, it’s breath labored, body curled up like it could just be sleeping, Elliot moved the towel so her own hands would be touching the puppy, glancing up at Ryosuke and offering a meek smile, "We’ll keep trying."

Ryosuke tilted his head, nodding when he realized she just needed it, even if nothing came of it, so he reached over, helping her wrap the puppy back up, the towel tucked under her hands, stepping closer, just to let her know he was there. 

Elliot glanced up at him, “I want to try one more thing,” she shuffled toward him, carefully transferring the puppy into his hands, pressing his hands toward his chest, “The heat from your body is good.”

Ryosuke nodded as she tucked the towel around his hands, and then she moved around the cart, opening and closing drawers until she found a different suction tool. She stepped back over to him, “I’m going to check her airways again, okay? It may sound bad, but don’t worry, I won’t hurt her.”

Ryosuke nodded, and then she set to work, Ryosuke watched as she concentrated, her eyebrows pulled down, her hand jerking her mask down below her chin at this point as she carefully suctioned out the puppy’s lungs again.

He gasped when he felt it, the sudden movement under his palms, "She...she's moving!"

Elliot's eyes were wide as she stared at him, "Really!?"

He quickly unwrapped the towel from his hands, revealing the puppy which was squirming, tiny grunts coming from it as it voiced its displeasure at the disturbance, and more likely, being born in general.

Elliot watched the puppy, counting her breaths, and then she carefully wrapped the puppy up softly in Ryosuke’s hands, her finger resting on the puppy’s throat, continuing to assess her breathing. The puppy continued to protest, and Ryosuke couldn’t help but smile at the sounds, at the way the puppy was moving now compared to a few minutes ago.

Elliot was counting and listening, but she was also watching Ryosuke, who was clearly having a moment with this puppy. She didn’t feel relief quite yet, but she felt contented, because he was there and no matter what that meant that everything was going to be okay.

She smiled when Ryosuke whispered to the puppy, "You almost didn't make it, little lady... _almost_...it’s a good thing you have such a talented veterinarian to take care of you."

Elliot grinned, shoving him lightly with her shoulder, glancing up when Mao came back over, “Boss! Did you stabilize her?”

“Uh-hmm,” Elliot confirmed, instantly moving into teaching mode, “Sometimes, puppies will inhale some of the fluids that are left after the first suction--which tend go deeper into the lungs. You can usually hear a rattling sound—you have to listen carefully, best to get a stethoscope to do it to be sure, but when that happens you have to suction them deeper, and of course, more carefully. Them aspirating is problematic—we’ll need to give four a shot of antibiotics just to make sure we don’t have a bit of pneumonia set in…be sure to let Saya know in case they move them before I can finalize the charts.”

“I didn’t know that,” Mao nodded, she asked Elliot a few more tips on procedure and then left to tell Saya the plan.

Elliot turned to look at Ryosuke, smiling, her voice soft, “You did good.”

“Shut up,” Ryosuke rolled his eyes, “I caught puppies from ten inches—you were like…I mean…seriously…you just…”

Elliot laughed at how inarticulate he was, “I did my job…”

“You were like a work of art,” he spoke, his voice filled with reverence, laced with awe, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Elliot tilted her head to the side, “A work of art?”

“I don’t know how to explain it,” he admitted, “It was just…you were...breath-taking.”

“I understand,” Elliot nodded, reaching over to pull down his mask so she could see his face, “I think it’s probably what I feel when I see you on stage.”

Ryosuke hummed in agreement, “Probably.”

Naoko came through the door, “I’m here to collect four! Good job, Boss!”

“I can’t believe Saya has all of you calling me that now,” Elliot rolled her eyes, grumbling, “Her and I are going to have a talk.”

Naoko shrugged as he carefully took four from Ryosuke, and then Elliot led him over to the corner, showing him how to remove his gloves so he wouldn’t contaminate anything, then the gown.

Before Elliot had finished, she glanced up to see Dr. Maeda standing in the doorway.

“What in the world are you doing here?” 

He laughed, “Watching you,” to which Elliot shook her head, “I figured this was one way to get you to do a solo surgery—I wasn’t wrong.”

“What?” Elliot stood up straight.

“Well, my wife  _was_  in an accident,” he shrugged, “But she’s only in the hospital because she’s a bit of a drama queen. When I told her that I wasn’t going to come she was furious with me—told me to get over here—and get here so if you needed me I could step in.”

“You…” Elliot was flabbergasted.

“You didn’t need me at all, though I did observe most of the procedure.”

Elliot didn’t know what to say, tilting her head, and Dr. Maeda moved backward toward the door, “At any rate, job well done Dr. Meadows! I’ll take it from here, so you can go home and finish your date.”

“Saya!” Elliot hissed under her breath, then cleared her throat, “Thank you, Dr. Maeda. I don’t mind finishing up.”

“Nonsense,” he responded quickly, waving her off, “I don’t have anything else to do now, I’ll go counsel the family and handle the release and such and you two go back to your date!”

“Thank you!” Elliot bowed, then gestured her hand to Ryosuke, “This is Yamada Ryosuke.”

Dr. Maeda nodded his head in greeting, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yamada-san.”

“Likewise, sir,” he responded, and then smiled when the doctor turned and waved, rushing down the hallway.

“He’s a nice man,” Ryosuke turned to look at Elliot.

“I’m going to kill Saya,” she frowned, shaking her head, “She must have told everyone!”

Ryosuke laughed at her fury as they left the room, stopping in the prep room, where she reached over, plucking the cap off his head, and then her own to throw out, running her fingers through his hair to fix it, frowning because not a single hair was out of place though she was positive she was a bigger mess now than when she’d greeted him at the door this morning.

She leaned over slipping the footie covers off her feet and laughed as Ryosuke did the same but somehow did it far more gracefully than she could ever do it, she shook her head, “Show off.”

“Not today,” he mused, reaching over to take her hand as they moved to the lockers to collect their clothes and such so they could go home, but he stopped her, pulling her close as he rubbed his nose against hers, smiling, “Today the only one who shined was you—today was all you, Elliot.”

Elliot rolled her eyes, “I don’t know about all of that,” she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close, “You did good, I think we would have lost four if you hadn’t been there to help, so thank you."

He laughed lightly, "You're too kind, but I did nothing but discover that I am glad I am an Idol and not a veterinarian or assistant--I don't think...I couldn't really do this all the time."

“I can tell you, you’re entirely too distracting in the OR, I definitely couldn’t work with you here every day,” she mused, dragging him into the locker room.

“Distracting, huh?” he mused with a tone laced with mischief, turning to look at the doorway when he heard the door swing open.

Saya poked her head into the room, “Boss?”

Elliot glanced over at her, “Yah?”

“A word?”

“Hold that thought,” Elliot whispered, then reluctantly stepped out of his embrace to the hallway to speak to Saya.

Ryosuke felt her loss instantly and wondered at the idea that she affected him so dramatically, so completely, his eyes riveted to her form through the window in the door as she stood in the hallway discussing something about the puppies with Saya.

Elliot signed the paperwork, telling Saya she’d check in later, and then turned to walk back to where Ryosuke had been watching her.

When she swung the door open she squealed, finding herself caught up in his arms, his eyes bright as he shuffled her backward until she hit the wall, and whatever else she'd expected, it wasn’t the smattering of kisses he placed all over her face and neck, causing her to squeal in protest.

"You! Are! Amazing!" he gushed between kisses.

She laughed, drawing her arms up to hug him, "Is that right?"

"Exactly right," he mused, his mouth close to her ear, his voice velvety soft, like silk across her ear, “I want to marry you, Dr. Meadows.”

Elliot’s eyes were wide when he pulled back, his eyes blinking softly, his expression clear and unassuming, painted with such love and affection, his fingertips grazing her cheek, “I want you to marry me, Elliot.”

Elliot couldn’t get her mouth to work, as it just kept opening and closing, and then he leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers, “One day soon, you’ll say yes.”

“Ryosuke,” the breath rushed out of her, “We can’t get married now, we’ve only known each other for si—”

“Pfft. Sounds like an adult talking to me,” he rolled his eyes, “That’s fine, I told you I’d ask you this weekend, so I have,” he kissed her quickly, “I’ll ask again, don’t worry.”

“If you keep asking me like this how in the world will know when you’re really asking me?” She really meant the question, because he teased her all the time asking, and she wondered how in the world she would know that he really, truly wanted to marry her.

“Oh, don’t be confused, Elliot,  _I am really asking you_ ,” he paused, his eyes firm on hers, letting the words sink in, as she swallowed roughly, nodding, because now she thought maybe she did understand, and he grinned as he continued to speak, “I just know you’re not ready to say yes,  _yet_ ….that said, when I know you’re ready to say yes,  _you’ll_  know I am fully aware that you’re a sure thing.”

She laughed at that, shoving him lightly, “How do you think you’ll be so sure?”

“I’m smart that way,” he smiled as he reached beside her to grab the bag Saya had put his clothes into, “ _I’ll know_.”

“Well, be sure to tell me when it’s the ‘ _one_ ’ then,” Elliot teased, turning to grab her bags as they moved toward the door to go back home to finish their date.

“Oh,” Ryosuke nodded, grabbing her hand, leading her to the door, “ _You’ll know_ , don’t worry.”

* * *

 

  


Well, so...this monster is well over 12,000 words and I HAD to stop writing here even though they aren’t even finished with their date! haha The next chapter will be the second half of their first date lol I just can not with these two! <3 

Also, I am NOT a vet. I have never worked at a vet. I researched this chapter to the best of my abilities, however, there may be inaccuracies because again, I am not a vet and do not play one on tv. I spent a week reading and watching videos (yes, videos of real pupper c-sections), and talking to my family members who are nurses–so, I did my very best to make this as accurate as I could to reality–however, it still might be lacking. I did my very best though so I hope you enjoyed it at any rate! I kept the more technical aspects out of it on purpose!  


End file.
